


Of roses and lilies

by Maerchenmord



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Accompanied by bad photoshop - it's not mind-blowing but I did it with love, Alpha Eren Yeager, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, And drugged, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Doctor Hange Zoë, Emotional Sex, Eren gets attacked with a taser, Fluff, Hange creates a lot of dubious medicine, Hange seems to be the only normal person, I'm sort of working through all kinds of hate against minorities here, Knotting, M/M, Manager Erwin Smith, Mikasa and Levi are married, Minor Levi/Erwin Smith, Model Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), No harm done though, Omega Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Oral Sex, Possessive Behavior, Rimming, Rough Sex, Scent Marking, Secondary Gender Discrimination, Slow Build, The press is persistent, Top Eren Yeager, Which is surprising, but seperated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-04 18:59:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 111,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14026653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maerchenmord/pseuds/Maerchenmord
Summary: In an overcrowded, overpopulated world, the exceptional traits connected to the secondary genders have lost their purpose and centuries of declining birthrates of alphas and omegas have almost driven them into extinction.Eren, an alpha born in a world full of betas, has learned to accept the difficulties of living between people who lost their connection to the secondary genders. Dealing with millions of unmasked scents every day, swallowing poorly researched suppressants and enduring hate and stereotypes is only the tip of the iceberg but even though Eren is a rarity, anoddity of nature, he'll find something -someone- outshining even him.A man that shouldn't even exist, known to the world as the top model Levi Ackermann.---A story set in a world where being an alpha or omega is an incredibly rare occurrence and the two men get to know each other and overcome not only the obstacles of Levi's celebrity status but also face the social impact of simply beingdifferent.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello wonderful readers. Those of you who have been commenting and discussing my other fic [The oldest profession in the world ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13818684) with me know, that I wanted to write an omegaverse fic next. My plan was to finish the other fic first but I felt unhappy with the latest chapter and decided to slow down a bit, instead of butchering it. I will absolutely finish it though, the next chapter is almost done.  
> Nevertheless: I decided to take a short break and get this baby on the way and I hope you will enjoy it just the same :)
> 
> As I already mentioned in my last fic, I'm not a native English speaker. I'm doing my very best, but I'm certainly not on par with most of the writers here - especially now, that I decided to write this fic in past tense - and I appreciate any comment or help to improve the quality of my writing. Feel free to tell me if I make mistakes! :)
> 
> I hope you enjoy the first chapter and I'm curious to know what you think, so feel free to leave me comments if you want. My last fic has been dominated by massive internal monologues and a lot of internal struggling and I wanted to try to write something a little lighter, we shall see if I succeed :D I'll be back with the next chapter soon! :)

_‘Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is Karen Adsteen with SRM News. A new case of secondary gender violence has caused an uproar all around the world. Two days ago, an incident involving the Icelander Andri Einarson was caught on camera in Reykjavík, showing signs of alpha-specific territorial violence._  
_Einarson had attacked several members of the staff as well as visitors and other patients at Landspítali Hospital in the capital, after the birth of his first son._  
_Local SG specialists confirmed the Icelanders secondary gender via blood test after successful sedation of the suspect and provided in-depth analysis, proving that Einarson was under pheromonal influence, especially displayed by his hunting behavior that focused on hastily retreating subjects, while demonstration of submission has been met with tame reactions from the alpha._

_Einarson has been released from custody in accordance with the conditions of the Lisbon protocols, passed by the United Nations in 1962, granting protection to subjects under the influence of specific secondary genders.  
The decision from UN headquarters in New York has received mixed reactions. Alpha-rights movements express their gratitude for the fast, unbureaucratic solution, while more and more extremist parties call for changes regarding secondary gender laws and demand to keep dominants all over the world under closer supervision. _

_With me in the studio is professor for secondary gender evolution at Columbia University, John Orla–‘_

  
“Fucking racists…”, Eren threw the remote on his bed after muting the sound of the TV and made another attempt to close his ridiculously stuffed suitcase.  
“Alpha is a gender, not a race, Eren.” He rolled his eyes and looked at Armin, who sat on his bed, flipping through the pages of a magazine with a neon pink cover and sporting a pleased smirk at whatever he was currently looking at.

“ _Excuse me_ , Mr. know-it-all. Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be packing?”  
“All done.”, Armin looked up and grinned at him, before he saw the deep frown on Eren’s face. “Look, most people don’t have an alpha buddy who can show them the ropes. Most people don’t even know any alphas.”  
“It’s crazy how you always find excuses for other people not to educate themselves, while you’re such a bookworm, Armin.”  
The blonde shrugged, hopping to his feet. “Can’t expect people to accept me the way I am, if I don’t do the same. I’m a tolerant person, that’s how I endure being your friend.”

Eren scoffed, before he returned his gaze to his suitcase and started forming a list in the back of his mind with the things he could remove from it to get the stupid case to close.  
“You still got space in your backpack, Armin?” He saw him nod from the corner of his eye and removed the big, black toiletry bag, containing a month’s supply of suppressants and scent blockers, together with a few pages of medical certificates that proved the absolute necessity of carrying a shit-ton of pills, injections and ointments with him at all times.  
“Probably better if I have those on me anyways. It’s a long flight…”

When Armin returned to his room, after stuffing the vital medication in his carry-on, his eyes widened and he squealed happily, before he lunged himself at the remote control with an ‘ _Oh my God!_ ’ on his lips.  
Eren shot him a questioning look, still struggling with his suitcase, which was buried beneath him now in hopes that the offending item would give in under his weight and he could fucking _close it_ , but Armin didn’t even register him anymore with his eyes glued to the screen, while he turned the volume up.

_‘ –vi Ackermann’s latest show ‘Top models of tomorrow’ has captured people all over the world with secret insights into the model business and his unconventional approach to finding new talents. The show is currently on break, while Ackermann visits Paris fashion week and returns with the next season in April._

_That was ‘SRM lifestyle and people’, we –‘_

“God he’s so hot!”  
Eren laughed while he looked at Armin’s dreamy expression and his sensual grip on the remote control. “If you plan to rub one off, do it in your own room, Casanova.”  
The blonde stared at him with shocked eyes, before he grabbed a pillow and threw it straight into his face, but Eren didn’t even try to dodge it, knowing that Armin barely managed to gather enough strength for him to feel the impact. “You’re so mean! He’s like my… Emilia Clarke, or something!”  
“Honest to god, I have no idea how you can compare those two. She’s cute and he’s… I don’t know. Angry?”  
“No he isn’t, you just don’t get it, because you’re not –”  
“ – a combination of a gay man and a prepubescent teenage girl in the same body?”

Armin pouted, crossing his thin – girlish – arms in front of his chest and Eren chuckled again, before he rose from his suitcase and ruffled through the blonde hair of his friend. “Just kidding, man. You’re awesome, you know that, right?”  
The short man huffed with slumping shoulders. “We can’t all have amazing genetics, the strength of ten men and the physique of Adonis. You don’t even know how lucky you are.”  
“Yeah, you gotta love the injections and the sensory overload, and man, the random emotional outburst outside of your control are just the best!” Eren stuck his tongue out, not really searching for an argument with his best friend but still making his point clear and Armin gave him a shy nod.  
“Yeah, okay… Sorry.”  
“Water under the bridge, Armin.”

“We should probably leave early tomorrow. With your nose and all…”  
Eren agreed with a silent smile, hauling his suitcase from the bed and sitting down next to Armin.  
Flying was hard – really hard – for someone like him, but even worse than sitting in a confined space with hundreds of people was standing in a closed area with thousands of them. Eren could barely stand a subway station. Entering an airport was like signing his own death sentence and god knows how long it would take him to make it through the crowd of people, he had to face tomorrow. Preferably little but judging from experience he was probably going to lock himself up in a bathroom every fifty meter, only to catch a breath.

He felt a sympathetic pat on the back from Armin and looked at him, already feeling a little exhausted with the thoughts of their journey on the next day, but there was no way around it. He wanted to go home and see his family and the only way over the Atlantic was by boarding a plane.

 

~~~

 

“Good moooorning, sunshine!”  
Levi groaned, while he sat up in his bed and raised his hand in front of his face to block out the light, that seeped into the room through the curtains. “Didn’t we talk about the early visits…?”  
Same shit every god damn day, but he felt too drained to give her a good beating or come up with an insult, with pain hammering in his head and a tight knot twisting his guts.  
“Aww, migraines again? Don’t worry…”, a bottle with painkillers ended up in his lap, “… I’m working on something. Just need a little blood!”  
Hange grinned at him with her typical, never dwindling excitement, while she wiggled a syringe between her fingers that had appeared out of nowhere – _Did she carry that shit around in her pockets?_

“Fuck off, you always butcher my arms with your needles!”  
“But Leviiii!”, her pouting whine made his ears ring, but she conveniently ignored his deathly glare. “I didn’t study medicine _and_ pharmacy to end up as your personal pill dispenser and you know, that I’m doing this for you, munchkin.”  
“I don’t give a fu–“  
“What Levi is trying to say,” echoed a calm voice from the door, as Erwin made his way into the room, “is that he still has a shooting in Paris, before he visits the fashion shows. We can’t have him run around on set with bruises or band aids now, can we?”

He flopped back down on the mattress, while Hange started some sort of negotiation with Erwin, about when she could ram another needle in his arm, and Levi closed his eyes for a moment, eventually giving up on any hope that his headache would abate and taking the pills in his lap to swallow some medicine.  
It escaped him completely what sort of agreement his staff members had reached but when he set the glass of water down, that was always present on his nightstand, he was alone with his manager, who grabbed a chair and took a seat next to the bed.

“Only traveling today, you have a relaxed day ahead of you.”  
“Thanks god… Feels like my head is going to explode any minute.”  
Erwin gifted him with a sympathetic smile. “It seems to be getting worse.”  
“Yes.”, Levi swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and leaned forward when another wave of dizziness crashed down on him. “The side effects are worse than the last time and I immunize faster. I’ll need something else soon.”  
“Hange is working on it. Which is why…”, Erwin grinned at him, choosing his words carefully, “… you shouldn’t be so adamant about keeping her away from your veins. We’re lucky to have her.”

Levi sighed with a nod, before he got up and made his way to the bathroom on bare feet.  
Erwin was right, he depended on Hange’s chemical cocktails, even if it pissed him off, that she looked at him as if he was a lab rat, every time she examined him.  
“I’m getting your suitcase, meet us downstairs.”, he heard Erwin call to him from the other room, before he turned to the mirror and looked at his tired reflection.

Well, nothing a shower and a little makeup couldn’t fix.

 

The way to the airport was easier than his short prior journey to the bathroom, thanks to Hange and her endless supply of medication and he slumped into the car seat with relief, when he felt the painkillers kicking in.

“Got you some inhibitor, just in case.”, a small bottle with clear liquid came into his vision and he took it from Hange’s hand to pocket it.  
He almost never needed them, rarely felt overwhelmed by the scents of others but rather drawn to them as if they were little riddles that needed to be solved. It wasn’t easy for his nose to navigate in the endless ocean of dull beta scents but no matter how muted they were compared to his secondary gender peers, they could still tell him things about the people around him. To unravel scents and emotions was in his very nature and no matter how far away he seemed to be from the standard, he could still feel the quirks of his biology at any given time, pushing him to follow his instincts, to understand, to care.

By the time they arrived, he felt good, free from the pain of his continuous migraines that had been successfully subdued by the pills he had swallowed a few hours ago and it lifted his spirits so much, that he deigned to sign a few autographs and snap some pictures with the people that started to become aware of him, the longer they stood at the check-in.

He smelt the faint arousal of a fifteen-year-old boy, that glanced nervously into the camera with him and while the beta scent didn’t affect him in any way, it still made him grin from one ear to the other, when the camera on the brats phone went off.  
“You’re pretty, chérie.”, was all he said in a teasing tone, when they looked at the picture together, but it was enough to make the kid stutter while he expressed his gratitude and paint the boy’s face in the shade of a tomato.

“You’re so friendly today Levi.”, Hange commented with a grin and he directed a curt shrug at her.  
“I’m drugged, nobody is sticking a needle into me today and I don’t have to work. It’s basically as good as it gets.”  
His gaze turned to Erwin. “I need to take a piss.”  
The manager pulled an expensive pair of sunglasses from one of the pockets in his coat and nodded, while he handed them to the model. “You’ve drawn some attention, put these on, maybe a hat. We’ll wait at the security check.”

Levi complied, thankful that Erwin didn’t try to walk him to the toilet like a damn toddler and slipped the sunglasses on his nose, before he opened his purse and searched for his cap, while he started to make his way through the terminal, armed with today’s good mood and a very unusual playfulness.

 

~~~

 

“Ready?”  
Eren took a deep breath, filled with the fumes of the busses and taxis around them, while he looked at the automatic door in front of him, because smelling the stink of the street was still better than the thousands of other scents, that would invade his body in a few moments. “I guess…”  
He gave himself another pump of the nasal spray that was supposed to inhibit his sense of smell and gave Armin a firm nod, before he made his way through the entrance of the airport.

The terminal was filled with a sea of people, bustling through the hall to get to their check-in, drop off their luggage or to make their way to the security check and Eren lost orientation before he had really found it, but Armin was already pointing at the huge screen, hovering at the ceiling, that showed the check-in counters and gates of the departing flights.  
Tugging on his sleeve, Armin led him into the crowd and Eren closed his eyes for a brief moment, before he got swallowed by the masses around them.

The first meters worked just fine, with his nose almost dripping from the medicine, but as soon as he reached the check-in counter he felt how it slowly but surely wore off and cursed himself internally while the tendrils of millions of scents started to invade his mind.  
The next few pumps of spray didn’t do much anymore, his senses already going into overdrive, instincts stretching out lazily but growing stronger by the moment - if only more people would block their fucking smell.

Too bad, that the biggest part of the population had absolutely no reason to do so. Alpha males had become an incredibly rare phenomenon during the last centuries, treated like an oddity of nature and while their genetic makeup still granted them superior physique and a certain brilliancy, that was lifting them above most people, they had to fight with the downside of their more animalistic traits.  
Their incredible sense of smell being only one of them.

Eren sighed, while he tried to ignore the overstimulation of his nose. He should probably be thankful, that the population of Alphas was still thriving enough back in times of increasing medical knowledge, to assure the research of the suppressants and scent inhibitors, that his kind was using these days.  
Sometimes he wondered how people in the middle ages had managed to deal with all the stink, when nasal sprays were a thing of the future, but they had probably lived in smaller settlements and tried to manage the smell of shit, rather than other people.  
Didn’t make a difference nowadays – the stench of the mixed, unmasked scents of two dozen betas was the same like smelling a pile of crap for someone like Eren.

He lifted his arm over his nose, breathing through the fabric of his sleeve, while his mind formed silent prayers for the next person in line to be done faster or walk away or just drop dead, so that he could at least get over with the check-in before he ran off, but the minutes just stretched eternally and when he finally walked to the front and was greeted with a smile, he felt close to throwing up right then and there.

Armin handed him the paperwork he had to show every ten meters, without asking, while he gasped through his mouth in quick, short pants and the airport staff member – probably trained in these matters – shot him a sympathetic look as soon as the woman glanced at the pages.  
Alphas had to register, just the same way people needed to check in their dogs and Eren had given up on feeling offended a long time ago. He was a potential risk to every person around him – that’s how the world saw it.

The woman handed him his passport and Armin worked himself half to death, while he tried to push Eren’s suitcase on the conveyor, before the Alpha registered his struggles through his haze and lifted the bag from his friends’ hand with one smooth, effortless motion, as if he wasn’t transporting clothes but a case filled with nothing but air.  
He didn’t register the surprised gasps from the woman in front of him and the people in line behind him, too focused on keeping his breathing calm and squinting his eyes.  
He knew his pupils had delated, could actually see it, because his vision grew too bright when his photoreceptors caught more light than necessary and cast everything in a blurry glow.

“Armin, I…” His friend gave him a sharp nod, understanding immediately, even though he couldn’t smell the distress in Eren’s scent. Nobody could, because the traits of the exceptional secondary genders were becoming extinct.  
Eren could distinct a fellow Alpha over hundreds of meters, fine tuned to the specific scents that he had barely ever smelt in his life. Scents that meant something, that weren’t just stink to his nose but a means of communication he only understood by instinct because no one around him could have ever talked to him about it.

The females were different but identical to him at the same time. He had met two omegas in his life and while the high fertility of their gender wasn’t of use anymore in times of overpopulation, he remembered to be drawn to them immediately. Not only because of the sexual desires that seemed to walk hand in hand with smelling an omega, but because there was undeniable chemistry between them, a way to express themselves and complete each other that normal people would never understand.

The omegan females were even more rare than their dominant male counterparts, but they still existed, if only few of them and whenever Eren thought of the times he had met one of them, he started to long for the connection he had felt in the proximity of his natural opposite.  
Betas had no sense of smell, no pheromones, no animalistic instinct that tried to drive their actions from time to time and while he had friends like Armin – smart and understanding – he knew, that they could never comprehend the very nature of his being.

Maybe it was only natural, that the overall population was weary of them. Over hundreds of years, they had lost the senses to interact with his kind and with alphas and omegas being a rare exception – only one to be found among thousands, if not ten thousands of betas –, people got out of touch with the secondary genders, not understanding what was driving certain behaviors when instincts took over.

He felt the grip of Armin’s hand on his arm, not really able to see much anymore with his vision blinded, as if he was staring into the sun.  
The beta shoved a piece of fabric into his face, saturated with his own scent that, even if Armin himself could not smell it anymore, calmed Eren down a bit.  
Armin was family, was pack, was whatever the heck the name for this was supposed to be. He was part of Eren’s world and his friends fragrance, even if dull and muted as all beta smells, gave him a calming feeling of being at home, different from all the other people around him who made his nose wrinkle in disgust.

With his senses becoming more clear, he saw the door of the restroom at the other end of the hall and quickened his steps, steadied by the blonde man, who was hastily guiding him through the crowd in the direction of the haven in front of him – a fucking toilet, that was Eren’s comfort place these days – and when he pushed through the door, almost falling to his knees in the process, he finally started breathing again, heavy and fast.

God it was good.  
Eren sighed in relief while he inhaled the stale scent of people who had long left the room, the residual smell of urine and the fragrance of air freshener, that overshadowed everything, coating his senses with the odor of roses and lilies – fresh rather than sweet in his nose.  
If only he could get that industrial shit for his dormitories, life would reach a whole new level of ease.

It seemed, as if Armin had decided to wait outside, in case the scent of all the people around them had mingled with his own and Eren rose to his shaky feet, not wanting to make his friend wait longer than necessary and forced his body forward.  
He stepped down the tiled floor that opened into two areas a few meters away, with the toilets and urinals on one side and an area with sinks, mirrors and a lifetime supply of paper towels on the other, and turned right, in order to give his face a splash of water. The bathroom wasn’t free of scents, but it was good enough to ease his instincts and he had to make the most of it, before he tried to go through the airport security.

Entering the room, he found another person – a boy – in front of him, rummaging through a bag and obviously searching for something and Eren allowed himself to relax after his initial flinch.  
Children had no scent, not until they presented, which really wasn’t a big deal these days, considering that 99.999% of them just stayed the way they were.  
Well, it was a fucking big deal for Eren.

After walking to one of the faucets and opening it, he watched the kid from the corner of his eye and rubbed his face with his wet hands, before he focused on himself in the mirror to get a good look at the state of his pupils.  
Fucking wide.  
He inhaled another wave of air, filled with the scent of roses and lilies that only grew stronger the longer he stood in front of the mirror and when he finally cast his eyes away from himself, he found the boy to be standing again, ruffling through his black fringe and readjusting the beanie on top of his head and Eren felt himself freeze and gawk at him with wide, shocked eyes.

He knew that face. Knew it from tv marathons and brightly colored magazine covers, because Armin was a sucker for black-haired male models with pale skin and sharp, grey irides.

“You’re staring.”  
“You’re…” _fucking Levi Ackermann.  
_ Eren was standing in an airport restroom with _FUCKING Levi Ackermann_.

“Mhm…?” The man turned around, giving him a knowing look, accompanied by a confident smirk and Eren still felt himself goggle the man he only knew from tabloids and the internet and _god damn everywhere_.

When he didn’t move, just kept gazing at the man in stunned surprise with his mouth hanging open, the model’s expression started to turn sour.  
“Is this about the size? Very funny… Yes, I’m shorter than most people.”

Eren gulped, looking him up and down, while he shook his head at the same time.  
Levi wasn’t _shorter_ , he was fucking _tiny_. A tiny person, that Eren had confused with a teenage boy, before he had seen the man stand in front of him, because the model had the obvious build of a man, confined in a body with the height of a small woman.

“No, I… love you?”  
_Huh?  
_ Eren frowned in confusion at his own words, taking another breath to clear his thoughts and even though he felt himself getting calmer and more focused, he started to think that they should probably tone it down a bit with the air freshener.

The celebrity looked at him with surprise, almost about to start laughing about yet another confession from a fanboy, before his eyes zeroed in on Eren’s face and some sort of understanding flashed through his expression, his whole demeanor changing, and he seemed almost _intrigued_?  
“Wow. Good instincts.”  
“What?”  
“You’re gay?”  
“What?”, Eren repeated dumbfounded, watching the model turn to the mirror again.

“Men. You fuck them, chérie?”  
He shot the model an incredulous look, that went unnoticed, because Levi was busy applying some sort of balm or gloss to his lips now, while he talked about sexual orientation like the weather forecast.  
“No, I’m…”, Eren frownded again. “…not.”  
_Huh?_

The short man chuckled, turning towards Eren and showing an amused expression, that wasn’t bold and bright but very obvious from the spark in his eyes and the small smirk on his thin, shining lips, while Eren tried to breathe through the ever-growing scent of roses and lilies. Levi cocked his head playfully, raising his index finger to the tip of his nose and winked while he repeated his words. “See? Good instincts.”  
He threw the lip balm back into his bag and regarded Eren with another knowing look. “I’m masking my scent, but you caught on quickly.”

“Caught…on…?”, he felt almost dizzy from the air freshener now, being penetrated by it, rather than smelling it and it took him all the concentration he could muster up, to see the nod from the small man in front of him.  
Fucking _Levi Ackermann_.  
He was standing in an airport toilet, blinded by beta scents, about to pass out from air freshener in front of one of the world’s biggest – or smallest – top models in existence.  
Armin would kill for this.

“You’re an alpha, right? You smell it?” The model put a tiny spritz of perfume on his neck and rubbed it gently over his collarbones. “Your brain can’t keep up, but your body already knows what it wants, even if there’s a dick attached to it.”  
“I…”, Eren felt himself swaying, while he tried to figure out what the man was talking about, but Levi didn’t say another word, just moved his head ever so slightly to expose more of his throat and ran his perfumed fingers up to his Adam’s apple and to the side of his neck and before Eren could figure out, how to finish the sentence, the model smirked and put the lightest pressure to his skin.

“Fuck!” The burst of scent – _roses and lilies_ – that filled the room knocked Eren to his knees, instantly clawing at the pocket of his jacket to find the nasal spray, while Levi broke out in laughter over the severe reaction.  
_Scent glands_?  
“Sorry, sorry, that was mean of me, chérie.”, the man chuckled, before he sent a little bottle flying in Eren’s direction, that the alpha barely managed to catch. Opening it hastily, he threw his head back, squirting a few drops of the clear liquid in every nostril and inhaled huge gulps of air, like a drowning man who was breaching through the surface.

“You’re an omega?”, Eren squeaked as soon as he was able to talk again, barely realizing how hysterical his voice sounded.  
“Aren’t you a smart one?”  
“But you’re a man!”, he gave the model a once over. “You are a man, right?”  
Levi rolled his eyes with barely contained amusement. “I am. Born with a cock and balls, the whole nine yards.”

“But that’s…”, he shook his head again and again, as if it would help him to wake up from a surreal nightmare, before he looked back at Levi, who was showing the smallest grin with one eyebrow cocked and a playful expression in his eyes.  
“But… that’s _impossible_!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished another chapter! I wanted to write for my other fic first but I was so into it, that I decided to roll with it.  
> I'm trying to explain a few things in this chapter about living as an alpha/omega in a beta world and while I have a clear idea of it all in my head, it was really hard to put it down in English, so I hope it makes sense and isn't super boring to read. If anything is confusing you, feel free to ask.  
> For those who wonder: Yes, I decided that Eren is German and Levi is French - Writing about those countries is the easiest for me, since I am a German living close to the French border *lol* Maybe I will insert some cultural quirks here and there... That could be funny, we will see.  
> They are currently somewhere on the west coast (probably Los Angeles?) but I didn't dive into that too deeply, because I've been there only once and they're leaving now anyways (hence the plane ride).  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, thanks for all the sweet comments so far <3

“Wow, they don’t teach you hell a lot in school these days, hm?”  
Eren was about to protest, before he silenced himself at the last moment and tried to filter through the things they actually _had_ taught him in school. Too bad, that the only mentions of male omegas he could remember weren’t from a biology class, but a fucking _history book_.  
“Male omegas don’t exist anymore.”, he replied with more insistence this time, while he started to breath through his mouth with the god damn inhibitor already wearing off yet again.

“I’m not going to drop my pants, just to make a point, brat.”  
The model seemed a little annoyed by now, almost as if offended that his very nature was doubted and Eren had to admit that he’d probably be pissed as well if he had such a heavenly scent and someone tried to question it. How in the world he had convinced himself before, that he was smelling some sort of perfume in the air, he had no idea and the longer he looked at the man in front of him, the more his belief was wavering.

Levi obviously didn’t look like a woman but wasn’t overly masculine either. He rather had an intriguing, alien beauty, that seemed almost androgynous. His body was small – a normal trait in omegas – and neither chubby nor slender and not muscular either, but something entirely different and entirely confusing.  
Eren was pretty sure that the model’s occupation didn’t allow him to carry any fat beneath his clothes and vigorous training left every man with muscles, no matter their gender but the perfect, glowing skin he could see on Levi’s arms and in his face told him, that his appearance would always be soft and almost fragile, no matter how fit and ripped he was at the same time.

It was rather contradicting, just like everything about him, now that Eren took a good look at him, fueled by omega pheromones that wrecked his brain and he saw so many details he had never even recognized before, when the man was displayed on TV or in newspapers.  
His hair was shiny and silky, every part of his face sharp and defined but nothing about his expression looked harsh. How such a clear-cut bone structure could leave someone looking so tender was a mystery to Eren.

His skin was perfect, not a single blemish or mole to be found by Eren, only beautiful, pale flesh that looked healthy and strong but so vulnerable at the same time and Levi’s lip were slim, not plush and girlish like Armin’s, but still looked enticing, because his mouth was small and pink.

People would probably have a pretty hard time to judge if he was female or not, if Levi ever decided to keep his hair long, despite his broader shoulders, slim hips and the obvious lack of tits on his chest.  
He didn’t look strictly masculine and he didn’t look overly feminine either, he simply looked like _both_ and Eren was inclined to get his cellphone out for a moment to check historic pictures of male omegas, to find out if that was a thing for their kind, but decided against it, because Levi was obviously still staying in front of him, still looked annoyed and still waited for some sort of response.

“Okay, okay… I believe you.”  
“How generous of you.”  
The playful attitude that Eren had encountered first in his conversation with the model seemed to be gone for good now and the man was giving off the usual condescending vibe, that Eren was used to look at when Levi’s face flickered over the TV screen.  
He had offended him with his statement and while Eren knew that a beta probably wouldn’t understand why it was such a big deal to the celebrity, he couldn’t say the same for himself.

Being an alpha was hard. Being an omega was hard. Being a _male_ omega was… well, unprecedented in this day and age and with Levi being most likely the only of his kind, Eren couldn’t even start to imagine how many issues the man had to deal with in daily life and how often he had to face the disbelief of others and that someone like Eren was jumping to the same conclusions was downright stupid because something inside of him yelled the truth loud and clear. He just needed one whiff of Levi’s scent and the open mind he always expected from others, when it came to his own secondary gender and he _knew_.  
“I’m sorry, really. It’s just… unbelievable? And I can’t think straight with the beta stink out there and your scent in here.”, he tried to apologize and received a curt nod from the man.

“I heard it’s harder for you. Not that I’d know, you don’t meet a lot of alphas.”  
Eren grabbed the sink to steady himself while Levi’s scent became more and more prominent in his nose again and even breathing through his mouth seemed to do less good by the minute, instead he could almost _taste_ the omega on his tongue now.  
“It’s… hard… yes.”  
“Oi, are you alright?”

He felt himself shaking his head and caused the other man to come closer to have a look at him, but it only made things worse with Levi’s scent hitting him with full force yet again.  
“Don’t…”, he tried to step back, swaying even more, while he waved his hand in front of his face, as if he could disperse the fragrances in the air around him and the model frowned at his gesture, shaking his own head in confusion. “I’m masking my scent, how does it affect you so much?”

He didn’t know. He had no idea what was going on, but his best bet was his bad initial constitution when he had entered the restroom.  
Levi smelled _so good_ and it was hard to believe that he used any scent blockers at all. His last encounters with omegas had been years ago, but in comparison he felt, as if he had ten of them in a room at the same time right now.  
“I think…”, he clawed at the sink now, shaking his head to keep his wits together, while the omega in front of him started to wear a seriously worried expression. “I think you need to go, _Levi_.”

Levi’s eyes widened, and he stepped back from him. He probably didn’t know what was going on – one of the million downsides of their decreasing numbers, you just couldn’t guess shit about alpha behavior when you never witnessed it first hand – but he certainly had an idea why Eren warned him to go away.  
He was losing himself in omega pheromones and would probably attack Levi, become violent or… or other things. The model didn’t seem to have a submissive personality, but he was an omega and Eren was an alpha. He didn’t leave room for argument and Levi didn’t appear to be stupid enough to speak up against it, just to make a point when the consequences were unknown to both of them.

“Should I… call someone?”  
Eren shook his head, because really, who could he stand right now if not a heavenly smelling omega? A stinking beta? A rivaling alpha? He heard himself snarl and Levi grabbed his bag, while Eren felt his senses dwindle and the omegas voice sounded muted, as if his ears were stuffed with cotton, when he slowly stepped out of the room, never turning his back to Eren.  
“Well, nice meeting you…”, Levi didn’t know his name, Eren had never mentioned it. “… _Alpha_.”

 

~~~

 

“Eren? Are you awake?”  
“Armin…?” He blinked his eyes open, only to stare into the bright light of a lamp on the ceiling above his head and close them again immediately. “Fuck… what happened?”  
“That’s what I want to know! I was gone for five minutes to get us a coffee and when I came back, they were evacuating the area!”  
“They… what…?” He felt Armin’s hand gently rubbing his arm up and down, but he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes again. “You went into rut, Eren.”  
“I… what?”, he replied eloquently. ‘ _What_ ’ seemed to be his new favorite word, considering that he had given Levi an equally wordy treatment before he blacked out.

“Mr. Jäger?”, was what he heard instead of another reply from Armin and he opened his eyes with a groan to look at the man, who entered the room now. “Uh… yeah?”  
“Hello, my name is Moblit Berner, the airport called me in.”, gentle but firm fingers wrapped around his hand and shook it briefly, before he continued. “I’m a secondary gender specialist and I examined you after you were retrieved from… the toilet.”

Eren didn’t manage to suppress the grin that formed on his lips, when Berner made it sound as if they had found him sitting on the pot.  
“I’m giving you a rough summary of what happened. That okay?”  
He gave the specialist a nod and he continued without hesitation. “You were unconscious when found, but I instructed the airport security to administer a light anesthetic as soon as I had an idea of the circumstances, when they called me. I took a blood sample from you as soon as I arrived, and we can tell that your body was reacting to what must have basically been an overdose of omega pheromones, that sent you into a rut. Since you were in the early stages, I administered a suppressant.”

He groaned again, bringing Berner’s monologue to a halt.  
“You gave me a broad-spectrum suppressant?” Absolutely fucking _great_. Adjusting his medication to work properly without giving him raging side effects in the process, had taken years and now he was about to spend the flight with migraines, or heart palpitation, or diarrhea – or probably all of them combined.  
“No, your friend here found us and since you carry your paperwork with you diligently, I opted for your own suppressants. They work better and more efficient than a random dosage anyways.”  
_Thanks god_.

“So, we checked the restroom and there were barely any traces of pheromones in the air. Even if we take the ventilation into account, it usually wouldn’t be enough for this kind of effect.”  
“My nose is… very sensitive.”, Eren sighed and closed his eyes again, sniffing lightly and catching Armin’s calming fragrance in the air. Moblit wasn’t noticeable for him but he probably wore some sort of hardcore scent blocker, considering that he was a secondary gender specialist in close proximity to an alpha in the remnants of a suppressed rut.

The man hummed in response, before he continued yet again. “Do you know any alphas or omegas?”  
Eren shook his head and received a nod from Berner.  
“So here is my theory…”, Eren cocked a brow but didn’t interrupt. “As an alpha you certainly know how the scent reception in your body works? You’ve probably realized that alphas and omegas smell stronger than betas.”  
He nodded. “I don’t cross ways with others often, but I can tell from miles away. Beta’s just smell… dull and… too many of them in one place…”  
“Smell bad?”, Berner offered and he nodded again.  
“No offense.”  
“None taken. You see, the scent and pheromone sensibility has been developed thousands of years ago. It’s an evolutionary result from a time when humans lived in smaller packs and the percentage of alphas and omegas was higher. It hasn’t only been a mating tool but was a means of communication, identification, and so on and so forth. The key to it was, that it was _balanced_.”  
“Balanced?”  
“Yes. There is no current research available on the subject, but old studies suggest, that betas in close proximity to alphas and omegas carry traces of their scent and that the tolerance to their scent increases, the longer they are exposed to each other.” Eren shot a glance at Armin, he could only agree so far. Most beta scents smelt plain to him and were repulsive in large numbers, but his friend was something he was used to, something that was close to himself and smelled like him.  
“The higher percentage of omegas and alphas made the real impact though. Old studies show that the influence of alpha and omega pheromones has a desensitizing effect on both of those secondary genders.”

“You mean I…”  
“You lack exposure to the dominant and submissive gender. Betas never stank for an alpha or omega in the past, because their senses weren’t as sensitive as yours. An alpha who is attuned to the stronger scents of other alphas and omegas wouldn’t feel impacted by dull beta scents like you do. You feel the negative impact every day, when you enter a huge crowd but this time, you stumbled over an omega and the slightest trace of their scent sent you into overdrive.  
Your friend here… told me that you met omegas, but it has been a few years ago? Your perception will become more and more severe. In most bigger cities you can find round tables or groups from alpha-rights movements. You should try to expose yourself to their pheromones.”

Eren scoffed, while he listened to Berner explaining him, that his nose, this masterly instrument of his, was completely out of tune. “You tell me I need to dull my senses for them to work better?”  
“Sounds wrong when you put it that way, but you’re an alpha. You need contact with all secondary genders, it’s in your nature. Betas can live all by themselves, but your gender requires a certain push and pull, provided by the pheromones of your own and your opposite kind.  
There’s a lot that modern medicine can do these days and you’re already using chemicals to force down many of the natural traits that come with being an alpha but it has its limits.”

He heaved a sigh, trying to ignore the part in him that vehemently disagreed with Berner’s words and wondered if he was right. Maybe it was better, to subject himself to other dominants on his own terms in a friendly environment instead of accidently crossing paths with an alpha or omega in the future and be overwhelmed by his biology, because he wasn’t used to it.  
The recent newscast flashed through his mind, with a man who had fathered a child at the other end of the world, only to be taken into custody because he suddenly felt threatened.  
Did he really want to end up like that?

“What happens now?”  
Moblit showed him a friendly smile, apparently interpreting Eren’s words as a form of silent acceptance, and carried on. “You need to sign a few things for me, since I used your personal medication and therefore can not guarantee its origins, even with all the paperwork you carry. After that you’re free to go when you feel up to it.”  
“Can I board a plane?”  
Berner confirmed it to be okay, but spoke up again after another moment. “The police will probably have some questions though.”

Armin’s head snapped to the specialist, while Eren groaned _yet again_. “Police?”  
“You’ve been in a male restroom, but that doesn’t guarantee for women not to slip in. They may want to know who you saw in there, or if you were alone. We’re in an international airport and they need to consider every possible angle. For all they know, it could be an act of terrorism. Someone trying to make alphas go on a rampage by adding pheromones to the ventilation system.”

“Jesus, even in this ocean of people, I’m probably the only one. How much damage could I do?”  
_A lot_.  
He instinctively knew the answer right away. He was taller, stronger and faster than any of the people around him and it would probably take a bullet to get him down if he was in a conscious rut, searching for his fucking mate.  
Andri Einarson hadn’t been in the same situation, he only felt threatened and he still had injured dozens of people in a hospital and it had needed an enormous effort to get him tranquilized.  
The best safety precaution against a raging alpha was another alpha and those simply didn’t happen to coincidentally be around anymore. Finding an alpha was like searching for a needle in a haystack.  
“Never mind…”

Eren was wondering if people knew, that Levi was an omega. It would have probably been all over the news, but he really wasn’t good with following the celebrity bullshit. Luckily, he had the number one insider next to his bed and he swore to himself to ask Armin as soon as he got the chance.  
People didn’t tend to talk about their gender in public, especially not if they were an exception, because it was too much of a pain to handle the either curious or condescending looks and questions. Not one of the few omegas and alphas he had met had ever openly admitted to their gender besides a few very close friends or family members and Eren wasn’t all that different in that regard.  
He didn’t hide it, but he didn’t talk about it either.

Levi was probably doing the same. He was a public figure and admitting to be an omega would certainly cause some sort of aftermath, especially with the thought in mind that he was a complete miracle of nature.  
If Armin couldn’t give him answers about Levi’s gender, he was not going to be the one to expose him.

 

~~~

 

“What took you so long?”  
Levi took the sunglasses from his nose and slipped them into his pocket. No way he was going to wear them inside of a building like some douchebag, when he wasn’t alone.  
A few heads turned to him right away, when he showed his face to the people, but he ignored them while he closed the remaining distance between himself and his staff, grabbing Hange’s collar in the next second and yanking her down to his eye level.  
“I ran into an alpha. He smelled it right away, I _literally_ knocked him down to his knees. Are you sure the scent blockers work?”

Her mouth opened in a silent _Oh_ and her eyes widened, filled with new excitement and glee, while Erwin raised his humongous eyebrows, before he looked around them to make sure that nobody was able to listen to their conversation.  
“The suppressants do a good part of the job, the more you immunize, the stronger your scent is going to be. Guess I need to add that to my to-do list… I could mix a stronger scent blocker for external use…”, she started rambling now, her mind already back in her lab and Levi zoned out, thankful that she wasn’t yelling at least but whispering for a change.

“I take it, he recognized you?”, Erwin stepped into the conversation in Hange’s stead and Levi shrugged evasively. “You gathered any contact information? We should at least make him sign a NDA.”  
“He won’t tell, Erwin.” His managers bushy brows came to life again, adding to the skeptical expression in his face and Levi rolled his eyes. “It’s an alpha-omega thing. He won’t tell anyone, believe me.”  
Erwin didn’t relent though. “And what kind of ‘ _thing_ ’ would that be?”

Levi opened his mouth for an answer, only for the words to fail him. He knew that the young man wouldn’t snitch on him, but it was hard to put a finger on _how he knew_. It was something in their dynamic, something that overpowered even a horrible personality and would keep the young mans mouth shut, no matter how much he wanted a moment of fame by dragging Levi into yet another spotlight. And the brat had seemed like a good kid all things considered, not like someone who would behave like that but like a rather decent person.  
He had been a little shocked but had apologized instantly and when he lost his composure, he had warned Levi and sent him off, because both of them knew that he was no match for an alpha on his best day.  
Nobody was, really.

 “Alphas are very protective of my kind and they hate to share. He won’t point a finger at me, he won’t be able to bring himself to do it.”, he finally answered and could tell that his words weren’t quite as convincing for Erwin as he hoped for them to be, but his manager gave in.  
“Well, we don’t have means of contacting him anyways. I’m going to take your word for it, but we should probably think of some sort of reaction if the topic comes up to nip any suspicions in the bud.”  
_Yeah, whatever._ “I’ll leave that to you.”

“I’ll give you your next dosage of happy pills and then we can go through security.”, Hange muttered, apparently finished with mulling over her scientific shit, but Levi shook his head, while she rummaged through half a dozen medicine bottles in her bag.  
“No, I’m good.”  
“You’re… what?”, she didn’t even wait for an answer, just grabbed a syringe instead of painkillers and went after him, when he instantly stepped away from her. “I need your blood. Now.”  
“We talked about this, fucking four-eyes!”  
“I don’t care! Your latest suppressants have side effects since weeks and I’m working my ass off to save you from drug addiction caused by all the shit I give you to swallow and now you meet an alpha and your body is just fine?”  
“We still have some time.”, Erwin pointed out. “We can’t get your blood out of here, once we’re through security.”  
“You too?”, Levi snapped but his manager only smiled nonchalantly.

“Fine! Fucking fine!”  
“I’ll find a courier, while you get to it.”  
_God damn traitors._  
Hange dragged Levi to another restroom, to get some juice out of him, while Erwin went on his way through the terminal.  
They weren’t wrong but he was sick and tired of the needles and examinations he had to endure on a daily basis, only for Hange to buy him another few months of peace.

None of the available omega suppressants worked for him, because none of them were designed for his specific condition. The hormone cocktails were meant to be used by females and while they did have the desired effects on his secondary gender, they clashed with his primary one.  
He was a man and the medication made him sick and tired and fat and Hange had spent most of her time during the last years to create suppressants specifically designed for him but the breakthrough was something they were all still waiting for. He was her eternal test subject, hoping for the day to come when her injections would finally work on him for good instead of losing their effect and starting to do more damage than help him, after a few months.

He wondered if the young alpha from the restroom had to deal with this the same shit from time to time.

 

~~~

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”, Eren laughed, already turning around in an attempt to leave the plane, only to be stopped by Armin who was blocking the aisle behind him.

It had taken forever to get out of the god damn room, as soon as the police had joined them and Eren had repeated time and time again, that he had entered the restroom only to wash his face, didn’t see anyone but started to feel dizzy and finally collapsed.  
He tried to ignore the fact, that he had probably started some sort of investigation against an unknown culprit and the state was wasting time and money now, to figure out if someone was terrorizing the airports, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk about Levi.

They were so few, in a world that didn’t quite understand them anymore, always defending themselves, always being pointed at and he’d rather have the whole world worry over terrorist attacks, than rat out an omega.  
It was ridiculous and he knew that he should probably feel bad about it but another part of him, dominant and wordy, proclaimed that he did the right thing, that he had done his job in protecting an omega and it satisfied a desperate, profound longing inside of him, that made everything else look pale in comparison.

Apparently, fainting in an airport restroom had its advantages as well though.  
Armin and Eren missed their flight and the airport management was insistent to get them into another plane as soon as possible, not only to get Eren out of the building but probably to shut him up. No business these days wanted to be caught between extremists and alpha-rights groups and the negative publicity that came with them, so they did their best to assure that no one pointed a flashlight on the situation.

A delayed flight to Charles de Gaulle was the next available option to get them to Europe, including an upgrade to first class and a personal escort to the plane and a connecting flight from Paris to Berlin was going to be covered for them – better and faster than sitting in a train from Frankfurt for five hours.

So far so good, if it wasn’t for the fact, that Eren was standing in an aisle in the first class now, smelling the alluring scent of roses and lilies.  
“Eren? What’s wrong?”  
_Shit_.  
Armin looked at him with a mix of worry and confusion and he contemplated for a moment to simply lie. To tell him there was a female in the plane, because he was absolutely able to detect them, even if they sat in the last row of the economy class, but fuck, he wanted to get this damn flight over with and Armin would probably think it was the person from the restroom and call the god damn FBI.

“I… uh… never mind.”  
His friend eyeballed him skeptically and Eren turned away from him, to proceed to his seat, because how bad could it get? He had a fresh shot of suppressants running through his system and a backpack full of additional medication to save him from the clutches of omega pheromones and the bright side of it all was, that the smell of roses and lilies would overshadow everything for the next ten hours, instead of the combined stink of hundreds of betas.

Walking down the aisle, he tried to look over the back rests of the seats in front of him but couldn’t spot the male omega that was probably swallowed by his cushions, considering how small he was.  
It was only when he reached his place and looked on the other side of the small path between the seats, that he saw familiar black hair under a beanie and swallowed heavily.  
“Oh my _GOD_ , Eren, that’s…”, his friend fell silent, when Levi lifted his head to move his gaze away from the tablet in his fingers and look up at him.

“H-Hi…”, Armin’s greeting wasn’t more than a high-pitched squeak and a tiny smirk appeared on the model’s lips, before he fixed his eyes back on Eren.  
“Well hello there, alpha boy…”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter for this fic! What can I say... I didn't really want this to become a huge thing but I'm a little in love with the fic now, so I've decided to do a slower build and that means... well, things go slowly :D The plot in my head feels like a korean drama, so you better prepare for stupid misunderstandings, cute fluffy bullshit and people *not* talking properly, but as I said: I want it to be a little more entertaining and less heavy and traumatic.  
> Besides that, I thought it would be fun to play around with photoshop but realized that my creative cloud is... broken aka not loading. So.. I just made a half assed attempt with a different software and didn't know how things work 80% of the time. Was still fun, I don't care if it doesn't look as good, I'm just sad that I couldn't give Levi any makeup, haha :P
> 
> Thanks to all of you for your love and support, comments and kudos. I'm really happy that you like the fic so far and I hope you'll enjoy it in the future as well :) <3

He could _feel_ Armin’s glare, but didn’t dare to look in his direction. His friend was probably about to hysterically yell something like “ _HOW DOES HE KNOW YOU?!?!?_ ” but Levi’s smooth, deep voice cut right through the tension, before his best friend could open his mouth.  
“And you are?”  
“Uh… eh… Armin?”  
“Hello, uh-eh-Armin.”, the model winked and Eren finally looked at the blonde next to him to make sure that he didn’t faint and smashed his head somewhere but the young man was just stunned into silence, with his face so red, that Eren wondered if there was enough blood left to circulate in the rest of his body and keep certain vital functions working.

“So, you’re going to Paris?”  
“Germany, actually… We missed our flight.”, he explained, and Levi cocked his head, probably having a good guess how that happened but Armin – adorable, lovely, _horrible_ Armin – felt the need to help out and explain further.  
“Eren went into rut in a restroom.”

 _Oh god_.  
He felt how the shock crept over his face and he paled, unable to stop it and his fists clenched at his side, before he opened his mouth to reprimand his friend, but Levi beat him to it.  
“Armin.”  
“Yes?” God, he looked like a damn puppy. The only thing missing was a wagging tail attached to his tiny butt.  
“You shouldn’t go around telling these things to random strangers.”  
It was Armin’s turn to pale now, one hand rising to his lips when realization hit him, and he seemed to be undecided for a moment if he should apologize to his friend or his walking wet dream, but his head eventually snapped to Eren, face scrunched up in mild horror. “Oh my god. Sorry Eren! I’m so sorry!”

He rolled his eyes, one hand waving dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. I know you are star struck. I’ll make sure to point it out whenever you pop a boner from looking at him during the flight.”  
Levi chuckled, while the color on Armin’s face changed yet again and he turned away in embarrassment to dump his backpack on his seat next to Eren’s, while he muttered something unintelligible.  
“Rut, hm?”, whispered the model and Eren groaned, turning his head to the side and covering his eyes with his hands.  
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it…”

Man, this was embarrassing, he couldn’t even find words to describe how uncomfortable he felt, and Levi probably thought he was some kind of creep, but he was telling the truth. Eren hadn’t chosen to meet Levi in the restroom or to react so strongly to his pheromones. It was out of his control, but it didn’t change the fact that he basically had had some extreme case of random hard-on for a man he just met, and he didn’t want to come across as someone who was leering after every omega booty who passed him by, no matter how rarely that happened.

“I’m flattered, don’t worry about it.”  
Levi was just as flirty as in the restroom before Eren’s little faux pas. He expected the man to be a little sassy – being famous and all – but being at the receiving end of the model’s smug grin and his playful comments, really threw him off because no matter how pissed he looked most of the time, he was still a model for a reason. He was gorgeous, and he knew it and his god damn pheromones made Eren’s head spin.  
Better to make it clear right away, that Levi didn’t need to butter him up to keep his secret safe.

Eren looked over his shoulder, reassuring himself that Armin was still occupied and turned his head back, to lean into Levi’s space. The man stiffened, most likely affected by Eren’s scent – a colorful mix of nervousness, faint arousal, worry and curiosity – but didn’t say a word, nor motioned him to go away, as if he knew that the alpha didn’t mean to harm him and Eren opened his mouth again, whispering quickly, but clearly for Levi to understand. “I… I lied to them. I didn’t tell anyone.”

Leaning back, he saw the omegas eyes soften and a small, cold hand found his wrist, to squeeze it quickly, for others not to see. “Thank you.”  
“I wanted to protect you…”, his voice was low, barely audible but the omega still caught his words before he could take them back and he felt stupid, like some kid that had watched to many movies, reciting cheesy lines to a grown man who was obviously doing just fine without his help. Just what was it with his alpha traits being so overly eager today?  
“I know.” The model didn’t laugh, just smiled at him and dipped his head slightly in an appreciative gesture, as if to imitate the smallest bow, before his eyes met Eren’s once more and the scent of roses and lilies rose around him again.

 

~~~

 

Armin wasn’t scary. He was a small person to begin with and had nothing on his alpha friend, even with Levi close to them, who was even shorter than the blonde and made him look tall for once. He had a friendly face with huge, trusting eyes and round cheeks and his arms were as thin has his hands were small.  
Right now, Armin was _terrifying_.  
Eren tried to sink deeper into his seat, his headphones already plugged in and he did his best to look as occupied as possible, while he was browsing through the movies he wanted to watch during the flight, but his friend wouldn’t have it. No, his friend would rather yank the whole thing from his head and ram an elbow in Eren’s side – not terribly painful but with frightening determination.  
“How in the world…”, Armin hissed. Eren didn’t know that Armin was able to hiss. “… does Levi know you?”

 _Deep breaths Jäger_.  
He skimmed through some ideas, how to explain the whole incident without revealing that Levi was indeed a male omega – _a fucking male omega_ – but nothing came to mind and his mouth uselessly opened and closed a few times, but Armin wasn’t done with him yet.  
“No, you know what? Forget that. What I really want to know is how you dared _not to tell me!_ ”  
“Eh…”, Eren shot a short glance in Levi’s direction, just in case the man was aware of their conversation, because if he was, Eren wouldn’t be ashamed of begging him with pleading looks to save his sorry ass.  
Unfortunately Levi wasn’t and he was left with choking some explanation out. “I just… got to know him?”

“I don’t see how that answers my question! Are you trying to make me hate you?”  
He closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath, before he turned his head to Armin and gave him as much of a serious look as he was able to muster up. Time to play the alpha card – it was shitty but needed.  
“Look, I know you have difficulties to understand that and it’s not your fault, really not, but… I got drugged with pheromones, I almost went into a full rut, then I got drugged with suppressants…”, he didn’t finish the sentence, just let it hang in the air for a moment.  
“You have no idea what’s going on in my body right now, it’s a fucking train wreck, Armin. I was a little preoccupied with functioning, so it may have slipped my mind that I saw some celebrity in the airport.”

Armin’s crestfallen expression made him feel like the biggest dick on earth. Eren was just fine and he was lying to his best friend for a man he had met a few hours ago and there was nothing he could do about that, nothing he wanted to do about that. Protecting Levi for the short amount of time their paths were crossing was his priority, not only swayed by scent and dynamic and a feeling of belonging, but his very morals.  
Nobody was able to understand what it meant to be one of them and it didn’t matter that it was ingrained into every alphas biology to protect others. If he didn’t hold out a helping hand when the rest of the world had stopped caring, when he didn’t use the few abilities, that nature had gifted him with in exchange for all the shit he had to endure every day, to be of help for the submissive gender, then what was he good for? What kind of alpha was he? What kind of _person_?

Being an alpha had a huge influence on his character and pushed him to be of assistance for an omega in need, but even more than that, he knew what it meant to live this kind of life, the sorrows and sacrifices it entailed and it nurtured a sense of responsibility inside of him, for those, who were facing the same fate. He wanted to help, no matter if he knew the person or not, no matter if alpha or omega. He wanted it, because it was the right thing to do.  
It was the right thing to care and it was the right thing not to look away.

“I’m sorry, I really am, but it just slipped my mind with all the stuff going on. You know that I suck at that celebrity shit.”  
A resigned sigh was Armin’s answer, before his friend took his hand and held it for a moment. “Yeah you do.”  
“Just ask him for a photo or autograph?”, he was mentally patting his back, since not only Armin’s mood was lifted instantly – all anger forgotten – but his friend also dropped the previous topic completely and Eren didn’t have to make up more excuses about how Levi knew he was an alpha or _where_ exactly they had met, considering that Armin had been with him most of the time. If his blonde companion would have thought about it all properly for a minute, he might have had a lot more difficult questions, but Armin was already in fanboy mode with eyes shining like those of a child on Christmas morning. “Yes! You are right! Oh my god!”  
He scurried his way out of his seat towards the aisle, as soon as the belt signs went off, looking both nervous and giddy with excitement and Eren flashed a grin at Levi, when their eyes met, while Armin stumbled through the attempt to ask the model for a picture.

“It’s you, right?”  
“Huh?”, the voice came from his front and Eren abandoned the view of his friend to turn his head and meet brown eyes that peeked over the back rest, between two hands that clutched at the cushion with an iron grip.  
“The alpha with the good nose. It’s you, right?”  
“Eh…” A newspaper came up next to the woman and smacked her head, while he faintly heard a man’s voice from her side talking to her, but she ignored it, staring at him with excited eyes.  
Next was a male hand on her right, that he only saw briefly before it was hidden by the back rest again, probably trying to push he woman down by her shoulder and Eren was too confused by the ridiculous puppet show, to give her question much thought.

“Erwiiiiin.”, she whined, struggling against whatever happened between her and the person sitting next to her and the little wrestling match only ended, when she spoke again, pointing at Eren insistently. “It’s him! It’s anti-headache man!”  
Another head appeared after a moment of silence, framed with short, blonde hair and Eren felt scrutinized by sharp, blue eyes under giant brows.  
“Uh… hi?”, he tried, but the man’s face disappeared again, before a piece of paper made it’s way to him through the space between the back rests, the brunette woman still staring at him as if he was the most entertaining thing she had ever seen.  
_Weird couple_.

He glanced over the page and it took him only a few seconds the get the gist of it, because his eyes easily caught the bold written words ‘ _Nondisclosure agreement_ ’ and ‘ _Levi Ackermann_ ’ and a hefty sum for Eren at the bottom of it all, to keep his mouth shut and he didn’t hesitate to shove the paper back through the seats with furrowed brows, not really caring if it ended up in the man’s lap or on the ground.

The blonde head appeared again, but Eren didn’t give him a chance to talk, snapping at him in a low voice first. “I won’t sign it. This is insulting!”  
A giant brow perked up and the woman next to him snickered, before she moved her attention back to Eren. “Ignore him, he’s a stiff, old man who worries too much. I’m Hange!”  
Blondie rolled his eyes, disappearing yet again, while the woman – Hange – hauled more of herself over the back rest to stretch her hand out and Eren shook it tentatively. “I’m Levi’s… physician, so to speak.”  
“Eren…”, he introduced himself and took a brief moment to look over to the model, who was listening to an animated monologue from Armin, with a strained, yet friendly smile.

“So, it was you, right? Can I take a blood sample when we touch down?”  
His head snapped back to her. “Sorry?”  
She crept even closer to him, hanging so far over the backrest now that he wondered if she would fall into his lap in the next second but apparently none of the flight attendants gave a flying fuck about her gymnastic exercises at maximum altitude.  
“I create Levi’s suppressants. I wondered how you found out despite the scent blockers and all.”, Hange whispered with a mischievous glint in her eyes, as if she was letting him in on a big secret.  
Well she was, sort of.

He looked at Levi again, who was giving Armin the fanservice of his life now, almost pulling the blonde man in his lap to take pictures and wondered if her statement meant, that the man was still not fully adjusted to any medication. The model was older than him, but people presented at different ages and the memory of all those years that it had taken him to get the right dosage for his own suppressants was still vivid in Eren’s head.  
It had been horrible, almost made him drop out of school and he had been sick more days than not – he didn’t wish this to happen to anyone else, not even his worst enemies.  
It was for Levi, right? They were in the same boat.

Eren heaved a sigh and opened Armin’s backpack with his own medication, that held the paperwork of the blood sample that Berner had taken at the airport when he was still in the remnants of his rut and held it out to her, before he started to give her a short summary of what the secondary gender specialist had told him.  
To say that Hange was delighted, was a giant understatement. She was practically buzzing and glowing with excitement, while she scanned through the pages and when he agreed to exchange contact details to send her a copy of the files, she squealed so loudly, that it caught the attention of everyone in a ten-meter radius.

At least he could tell himself that he had been helpful to Levi and watch Armin enjoy his ten-minute social media fame.

 

 

~~~

 

“I think he likes you.”  
Levi cocked a brow, while he tried to ignore Hange, busy with browsing through his social media pages. How the lunatic had managed to shoo the person next to him out of his seat to occupy it, he’d never know.  
“He seems really cooperative. Gave me the paperwork for his blood samples without a second thought!”  
“Hange…”, he murmured, certain that he would feel his migraine well up again, if the alpha – Eren – wouldn’t sit so close to him. “If he’s making all your insane dreams come true, then why exactly are you bothering _me_?”

She ignored the obvious annoyance in his voice, just grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him in an awkward sideways hug. “Isn’t it amazing how sensitive he is to your scent, even though we’re dumping all this medicine on you to mask it?”  
“Well, maybe your chemicals are just shit?”, he snapped back at her, not really understanding how she found reason to be happy, when his scent blocking failed.  
“Or maybe you smell super yummy?”  
“Hange, for fucks sake…”  
“Maybe you like him a little?”  
He shot her an incredulous look, almost hissing at her in a low whisper now. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Hange giggled like a madman, patting his shoulder cheerfully. “Well I got a little report from our dominant beer-loving sausage-eater here. First, he enters the restroom, then you realize he is an alpha and _play with your scent gland_ and then the pheromones just keep surging up until they knock him out, even though he used the nasal drops I gave you – a very potent mix by the way.”  
He was pretty sure his glare could actually kill someone by now, just why did that never work on her?  
“Just saying…”, she continued completely undeterred, “… maybe someone _wanted_ a little attention?”  
“Cut the crap.”, he looked back down on his tablet, gritting his teeth. “I didn’t actively want to scent the air or send him into a rut.”

When he didn’t get an immediate reply, he looked back at her and spotted a curious spark in her eyes, that made him realize his mistake in an instant.  
_Fuck_.  
“Rut, hm…?”  
“Let it go four-eyes.”  
“Maybe you should keep him. Let nature run its course and all that.”  
“Hange!”, a few people turned their heads when he raised his voice, but she only laughed again. Levi should probably start cutting her paychecks and charge her for being her around the clock stand-up comedian instead.  
“You got to admit… he’s helping with your migraines.”

Turning his head, he looked at the young man on the other side of the aisle, who was currently absorbed in one of the movies of the onboard entertainment selection and the omega sighed.  
“Well if you change your mind, I got his number.”, Hange chirped happily and Levi snorted.  
“I’m pretty sure I don’t need your help if I want to get someone’s contact details.”

 

~~~

 

The airport was swarmed with people and Eren already dreaded the moment when he and Levi would have to separate. He was still close, hiding the stink of all the betas around them under a blanket of his soft fragrance, while Hange was chatting away about clinical studies for suppressants, that he had a hard time to understand, and Armin followed every movement of his idol with doe eyes.

The model was hiding behind sunglasses and a scarf, the beanie he had worn before they entered the plane back on his head and the blonde guy – Eren had learned his name was Erwin Smith, Levi’s manager – towered next to him like a bodyguard.  
The guy was huge, seemed almost as tall and muscled as the alpha himself but Eren knew, that he was still young – would turn 22 in a few days – and he would most likely fill out even more in the next few years, before his growth came to a complete halt around the age of 25.

The agent at the border control was the first one to ask for an autograph, when he spotted Levi’s name in the passport and Erwin handed the small man a photo of himself, that he seemed to carry around in the inner pocket of his coat.  
A few rapid words in French and a hasty signature later and it was Eren’s turn to walk up to the man and show his passport, knowing that the omega would be gone any minute now.

Hange reminded him to send her the paperwork, while Armin talked Levi’s ear off about how grateful he was to have the pictures and what a huge honor it had been to meet the man and when everything was said and done, the trio started to turn to make their way to the luggage.  
“Call me any time, Eren. Maybe you can get me the files of the last years from your family doctor too?”  
“Sure… I can try.”, he offered, not willing to promise her too much, before his eyes turned to Levi.  
“You gonna be alright, kiddo?”  
Eren shrugged and tried his best smile, but the celebrity just shook his head and started to peel his scarf from his neck, before he pushed the fabric into Eren’s chest. “Consider it payback for keeping your mouth shut.”

Armin’s eyes wandered between them with slight confusion, but he seemed obviously happy for his friend to get a piece of clothing from _the_ Levi Ackermann, to cover his nose, not knowing that the item was drenched with the heavenly smell of the omega straight from the scent glands on his neck, so potent that it overshadowed every last bit of beta stench.  
Eren had to fight the urge to press the fabric into his face and deeply inhale with every fiber of his body and the model chuckled with a knowing look in his eyes, before he turned to his staff and gave them a nod. “Let’s get out of here.”  
And just like that, Levi was gone and Eren and Armin sighed in unison for completely different reasons, before they made their way to the next gate for a connecting flight to Berlin.

“Oh, come on, seriously?”, said Armin, when they reached their destination after a few minutes of him gushing about the model, comparing him to an angel and telling the alpha that he might start to believe in god after their fateful meeting, while Eren kept it a bit more simple with a “Fuck.” on his lips.  
“We could take a train…”  
They stared at the board, telling them that the flight had been canceled and Eren shook his head.  
“That’s like 300 bucks and 12 hours of sitting in a tuna can full of betas.” And before Armin could point out the obvious, he added “I’m lucky that I got a fresh shot of suppressants before the boarding to handle the smell during the flight, but the effect is already wearing down.”  
Not that the injection actually did something for his sensible nose, it only tamed the effects that scents had on him but didn’t numb his ability to smell them. Still better than pointing out that he had handled the flight so well because he was smelling roses and lilies the whole time. He could only hope that Armin never got interested enough in the topic to actually sit down and read a book about his dynamic but kept believing Eren’s absurd explanations.

“Well, hotel it is then.”  
The alpha groaned, inhaling another whiff of Levi’s odor and turned to find a counter of the airline to reschedule their flight, before they left the airport.  
A hotel wasn’t as bad as a train but it was housing a lot of different people, that changed daily and a multitude of scents tended to linger in the buildings to Eren’s great annoyance. Most hotels didn’t neutralize the smell of their guests or aired out the rooms properly, considering that alpha and omega guests were as rare as finding a polar bear in the desert.

When he asked for a hotel in the city, that could accommodate him, after sorting out their flights, the airline representative gave him a pitiful look, before she answered him with a heavy French accent.  
“I’m afraid many hotels in the city don’t accommodate alphas for safety reasons, sir. The Four Seasons might take you in.”  
“Can you call and ask?”  
She opened her mouth, most likely to deny his request but the second she looked at him again, she started to hesitate. “It is very expensive, sir.”  
“The airline won’t cover it? It’s a bigger safety issue to put me on a train for 12 hours.”  
Her eyes snapped to Armin for a moment, as if she didn’t dare to look at him anymore, but as soon as her gaze went back to Eren, she started to crumble.  
“Ah… yes, certainly, sir. Let me just… I will make a few calls.”

He flashed a smile at Armin, who shook his head, probably pitying the poor woman, while she turned away and left them for a moment.  
“You’re doing that thing, right?”  
“I need a decent hotel, Armin. You know that I’m almost never making use of it.”  
“I don’t get how that’s even working, we can’t pick up your pheromones, but she’s still submitting.”  
“Something about unconsciously noticing my secondary gender and instincts telling her to flee or give in, caused by the cerebellum.”  
“You’re making that up, right?”

Eren rolled his eyes and shook his head. It had been a long time, since his doctor had explained the traits of his gender to him, back when they were still trying to figure out how to suppress most of them and he didn’t remember all the details, but he still knew the general concept. Just like Berner had explained a few hours ago, their characteristics had been developed in a time when people still sharpened rocks to hunt and the instinctual reflex to submit to an alpha was still as ingrained into most humans as the desire to run from predators, even thousands of years later. Eren was called a dominant for a reason; he was able to _dominate,_ and he didn’t need his pheromones to do it. Things only went to shit, when betas defied their natural gut feeling, like the people in the hospital in Reykjavík.  
Some had submitted and the others… hadn’t gotten away.

When the woman came back and smiled at him carefully, he saw that she was trembling, but he forced the guilty feeling down, considering that her kind was the reason that he couldn’t even ride a damn train these days without barfing his guts out.  
She put a page of paper on the counter, that showed the address of the hotel and a reservation number, wished him good luck and retreated in the next second, as if she couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

“I thought that was… not allowed?”, his friend whispered, when they went to grab their luggage.  
“It’s frowned upon and the Lisbon protocols don’t apply when alphas consciously use it to cause trouble.”, he looked back at the woman, who had taken her seat again, now that the distance between them had increased. “Doesn’t even work most of the time, most people manage to ignore these feelings… But I doubt that she’s going to give us shit. I got her good.”  
“I saw that, she almost wet herself.”  
“What can I say, if it works, it works.”

 

~~~

 

People around him were wary and got more and more defensive, the longer it took to get to their hotel. It had started with the member of the airline, continued with the taxi driver and by the time he entered the hotel, most people gave him a wide berth, with even Armin keeping a bit more distance from him than usual, probably without even noticing it.  
Eren didn’t really care, even if the sudden change made him a little curious, but he was content as long as Levi’s scent was in his nose, light and fresh and simply delicious, keeping him away from the seven hells of beta stench.

He left it to Armin to check them in, when he spotted the nervous glances of the hotel personnel from the distance and took a seat in the lobby, sighing into the scarf while he felt more relaxed than ever and it was only when his friend came back and stopped a few meters away from him with a frown, that Eren started to feel a little out of place.  
“Something is different.”  
“What do you mean?”, he sat up and Armin _flinched_.  
“I… sorry, I… I don’t know…”

Eren furrowed his brows and eyeballed his best friend, his withdrawn body language, the defensive stance and when he looked up into his face, he almost didn’t believe his eyes. “You’re… scared of me?”  
Armin’s eyes widened in horror and he stepped forward but stopped in the next second without really closing the distance between them. “What? No! I… I don’t know…”

He shook his head in disbelief, caught somewhere between feeling disappointed and annoyed. He had no idea what caused his best friend to be frightened by him of all people, but he couldn’t take more suppressants to make it go away, since he was already drugged to the brim with the extra dose from the airport.  
Another deep inhale filled with the scent of roses and lilies calmed his head and he burried his nose in the soft fabric of Levi’s scarf, without realizing that the fragrance filling his nostrils didn’t just originate from the fashionable item around his neck anymore.

“Eren?”, Levi’s voice echoed through the lobby and the alphas head perked up and turned to him.  
“Levi?”  
It took the omega a second the shake Erwin’s strong hand off his shoulder, who was obviously trying to hold him back, but just like Eren himself, Levi didn’t seem to catch on to the feeling of danger that had the betas around them in its clutches.  
After a moment of frowning at his manager, he smacked Erwin’s fingers, with a curse on his lips and started to make his way to Eren. “What’s wrong, why are you here kid?”

Heaving a defeated sigh, he told the model that their flight was canceled, before he made a wide gesture, encasing the whole lobby. “Everyone’s shitting his pants around me. I have no idea what’s going on.”  
The frown was back on Levi’s face and he turned to Armin. “You, go to your room.”  
“What about Eren?”, the blonde man gulped visibly but didn’t seem to be willing to leave his friend alone either.  
Levi just gave him a dismissive wave and turned back to the alpha with the glum expression.  
“The brat is coming with me.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to a new chapter. I know it's a little uneventful, but I need to get things on the way and since this is a slow build, I need to start somewhere with Levi and Eren getting to know each other step by step :D It's a little longer though, so I hope that can make up for it ;)  
> Something I wanted to mention too is the rating: I didn't rate the story yet because, well... there isn't any need for it yet but it will definitely end up in the explicit category, guess that's not completely surprising for an a/b/o fic - just wanted to give you a heads-up.  
> Enjoy the chapter!

The spicy, distressed notes in Eren’s scent grew stronger and stronger, while they walked through the hotel and from the way every beta in sight stayed clear of them, Levi almost believed, that they managed to smell it too.  
Erwin was still putting up a bit of a fight, walking behind them and eyeing the young man from the distance. He was unwilling to let Levi be alone with him but couldn’t handle to come near the alpha either and after a short intermezzo in the lobby, he had given up to talk sense into his manager and just grabbed Eren’s arm to pull him towards the elevator.

Levi had no idea why people were afraid of the alpha. He didn’t smell or behave aggressive, but rather dejected and his body language clearly showed that he was withdrawn, not annoyed, defensive or angry.

Reaching the door of his suite, he looked back at Erwin and shook his head. The man better gave up on his bullshit and stopped behaving like his mother, instead of trying to get between him and an unstable alpha, no matter how tame Eren seemed to be at the moment.  
“Get Hange.”  
“Levi…”  
“Erwin, I respect you. I do. But you have no idea what’s going on, so shut your trap, get Hange and stay the fuck away from my room.”

His manager averted his eyes for a moment, apparently weighing every possible option in his mind, before he made another attempt to persuade the model. “He… seems dangerous Levi.”  
“To you.”, was Levi’s clipped answer, before he looked back at Eren who seemed visibly uncomfortable with their conversation.  
“Erwin… No offense but…”, he turned his head back to the blond man, “… this is something you can’t comprehend. You will _never_ understand it. Get Hange.”

His manager, his _friend_ opened his mouth to reply, before the words truly sunk in and he looked almost hurt by Levi’s declaration, but nodded eventually and the celebrity opened the door without another thought and ushered Eren into the living room of his suite.  
“I’m sorry…”, the meek voice was so untypical for an alpha, that it almost gave Levi shivers.  
“Don’t be. They don’t get it.”  
Eren sighed and removed his shoes, much to Levi’s delight, before he glanced at the small man, waiting for further instructions.  
“Sit down, want some tea?”

“Why am I here?”, Eren asked, ignoring his question and it was Levi’s turn to sigh now.  
“Well I’m obviously the only one around who can stand to be close to you. Let Hange have a look at you, maybe she has an easy solution to your problem.”  
The alpha nodded and took a seat on the couch, thanking Levi with a soft voice, before a knock disrupted the tranquility of the apartment.

When he opened the door, the lunatic stopped for what seemed like a millisecond, before she bounced back and walked into the room. Levi had expected as much, the laws of the universe never quite seemed to apply to Hange and he wasn’t surprised that the beta had no qualms to come near the alpha.  
“Damn you’re… _potent_.”, she murmured, while he filled water into the electric kettle, knowing all to well, that the alpha eyed him continuously.

“Potent?”, he inquired and Eren seemed to snap out of his daze and looked at Levi’s physician with a curious glance.  
“Yeah, he’s got that… aura… So, what’s the problem?”  
“His ‘ _aura’_ I suppose.”, Levi deadpanned and Hange raised her brows in confusion for a moment before she caught on.  
“I scare people… Well, betas.”, Eren provided and the woman gave him a nod to indicate that she listened. “And that’s new?”  
The alpha tried to shrug and nod at the same time, looking rather confused, before he elaborated on the topic. “They submit left and right and now they start to stay away from me. That never happened before and… I can’t take more suppressants. I already got an extra shot this morning.”

Hange hummed for a moment, adjusting her glasses while she was lost in silent contemplation, before her eyes caught onto something and she pointed a finger at Eren. “That’s Levi’s scarf?”  
“Uh… yeah?”  
“You wore that before?”, she turned to the model, who confirmed her question while he prepared the tea and the woman grinned gleefully. “Interesting…”  
“Care to explain?”, Levi set a tray with the tea and a few mugs down on the table in front of Eren and took a seat next to him.

Instead of an answer, she waved another syringe in their face and the omega grimaced. “I need a blood sample from him.”  
“What’s it with you and body fluids, shitty glasses?” Levi poured each of them a cup of tea and Eren took it carefully while Hange ignored hers completely in favor of scooting closer to the alpha. “Well, his alpha traits become more prominent, right? So much in fact, that even betas who can’t be under pheromonal influence recognize it.”, she yanked Eren’s free arm in her direction without waiting for his consent and rolled his sleeve up. “I don’t know how the betas become aware of it, not enough research in that matter, just like with anything that concerns the rare secondary genders. Fucking shame if you ask me…”  
The model cleared his throat, to stop her from rambling and she looked up, before she continued. “Anyways! I can’t tell you how the betas manage to notice the changes. Maybe it’s his body language or… Oh! Maybe he’s producing ultrasound that we pick up? Like bats!”  
Levi’s glare shut her up for a few seconds yet again. “Just kidding… Anyways. I can’t tell you for the betas, that would require a giant field study, but maybe I can find something unusual in Eren’s body that explains how it’s triggered on his side – whatever ‘ _it_ ’ may be. Could be hormonal, stuff like that can be medicated.”

The alpha nodded, watching the needle glide through the tender skin of his muscled arm and took another sip from the tea in his other hand. “I just don’t understand why that’s happening now…”  
Hange removed the syringe and put a band aid on his arm, before she unplugged the needle and placed the sample in a little plastic bag. “Levi, probably.”  
“Levi?”, both of them looked up, the alpha with sheer curiosity, while the omega wore a dark expression on his face.

“I think that secondary gender specialist of yours is right, you react extremely to pheromone exposure because your system isn’t used to it anymore. Levi kicked something off and that scarf…”, she gestured at the mentioned item, “… isn’t doing the job for you. It holds his scent, not his pheromones. They evaporate too fast, that much we know.”  
She finally took her cup and drank from her tea, continuing with an innocent expression, that Levi knew to be full of shit. “It could get better all by itself, the more time you take to get used to the pheromones, but I’m still going to check your blood and see if I can speed it up. For now, you should probably stick together.”

The clank of Levi’s cup echoed through the room when he put it down with a bit more force than necessary and he got to his feet. “Hange. Can I have a word?”  
Not waiting for her answer, he walked to the bedroom in fast, wide strides and pushed her through the door, when she finally made her way to him, closing it behind them in the next second.  
“Are you nuts?”, he didn’t even try to hide his anger, pointing at her with an accusatory finger. “I can’t have an alpha with me who’s scaring the shit out of people while I am on set or sit in a fashion show! What’s gotten into you?”

Hange looked pretty unimpressed, but even worse was, that she looked very _calm_ and that she crossed her arms in front of her chest while she listened to him. “You’re aware that he’s in this situation because _someone_ had a little play time with his glands in a restroom and probably scented the whole airplane on our way here, right?”  
She shook her head and sighed, like a resigned mother. “Levi, his friend can’t even stand to be in the same room with him and I’m pretty certain that your pheromones are responsible here.”  
“And who’s fucking fault is it, that they are not suppressed?”  
“Mine, but I can’t change that now. I’ll get to the bottom of his increasing alpha dominance and until I have some answers, you should stay with him. Or maybe even longer. He’s helping with your migraines and I might actually find a way to improve your suppressants and scent blockers for good, if I can find out how he’s influencing your hormonal balance.”

The model furrowed his brows, mulling over her words for a moment, the truth already dawning on him. “That’s the reason, isn’t it? You just want him to stay with me to work on my medicine.”  
“Well, I do feel sorry for him and I’m interested in his gender and his situation...”, Hange defended and Levi rolled his eyes.  
“Erwin is going to annoy the shit out of me for this.”  
“I think we can handle that, now go back to your alpha prince and be a good, little omega.”

 

~~~

 

They didn’t need to wait for the results from the blood sample, that Hange had sent to a lab in the city, to see the immediate effect of Levi’s close proximity to the alpha.  
Hange was adamant about the theory, that Eren had in fact not gotten used to the pheromones so quickly, but rather that the exposure to Levi calmed whatever weird alpha shit was going on inside his body and she suspected for the problem to flare up again, as soon as Eren would leave Levi’s side.  
It took less than an hour for Eren’s ‘ _potency_ ’ to start fading and Erwin and Armin dared to enter the room two hours later.

The alpha was obviously torn by the situation, assuring the model that he was grateful for his help and wouldn’t think of turning his offer down to stay with him for now, while he also wanted to return to his family instead of being stuck in a foreign city for god knows how long.  
Armin – love struck fool that he was – declared that he’d handle the situation at home and encouraged Eren to make the best of it and enjoy the city and the fashion world as long as he could, not having the slightest clue why the model had offered him to stay in the first place, but not questioning it either.

Erwin on the other hand wasn’t amused in the slightest. Not only was the manager upset because he didn’t seem to have a say in any of the days decisions, but he was still convinced that the alpha was a negative influence, possibly dangerous and shouldn’t stick to his valuable fashion idol.  
The distressed scent that started to fill the room during Erwin’s reprimanding speech had Eren’s immediate attention and the blond hulk stopped talking when he noticed the intense stare that the alpha directed at Levi.  
“Didn’t take you for one of those Erwin…”, the model sighed, while his delicate fingers lifted the cup to his mouth again in what seemed to be his signature way of holding it, because he hadn’t used its handle once so far.

His manager frowned, apparently not understanding what Levi was trying to tell him and the omega pointed at Eren, before he continued to speak. “You’re aware that he’s sitting right here, no? You’re openly discriminating him for his gender, for something he had no choice in. I’ve always considered you to be more tolerant, what’s the difference? Is it because I’m an omega, because I’m _weaker_? You can accept me, but you can’t accept him?”

Armin’s eyes went wide and all of them groaned in unison when they heard the surprised gasp from Eren’s friend, but Erwin didn’t take the time to delve into it and stayed focused on their current conversation. “I’m just trying to protect you Levi.”  
“From what?”, the small man scoffed, his voice raised in a way that made the alpha fidget in his seat.  
“From Eren? There is no safer place for me in the world than by his side. He was _born_ to protect my kind!”

The model jumped to his feet, a move that triggered the same motion from Eren, before the young man came to his senses and sat down again with a sheepish expression on his face.  
“You work for _me_ , Erwin. Not the other way around. Do your job and find a plausible position for him.”  
He turned his head to the alpha. “Think about it and sort your shit out with your friend. You can sleep on the couch and we talk tomorrow.”  
Not waiting for a reply, he walked to his bedroom and closed the door in their face, while Eren gulped visibly and Armin still stared into nothing with an open mouth.  
“Well, you heard the princess.”, Hange chuckled. “Let’s wrap it up for today.”

 

~~~

 

“I can’t believe it. Levi Ackermann is a male omega?”  
“Tell me about it…”, Eren leaned back into the cushion of the couch, while his friend ran a nervous hand through his blond strands.  
Erwin and Hange had left the suite a few minutes ago, when the physician had finally convinced the manager that Levi would freak out, if he tried to inconvenience the alpha any further and while Erwin had been reluctant to leave the young man with the model, he had eventually given in.

“How is that even possible?”  
“How the hell would I know?”  
“In the restroom…”  
“Yepp.”  
“You lied to the police?”  
“Sure did.”  
“And to me.”  
“Sorry, Armin.”

The small man heaved a sigh and Eren ruffled his hair. “He’s fucking with my hormones, but I can’t even get mad at him.”  
“Well, he’s a top model.”  
“I don’t think it’s got anything to do with his looks or his job, Armin…”  
His friend giggled and flashed a mischievous grin at the alpha. “Are you sure your preferences aren’t changing?”  
“Omegas have never _not_ been part of my preferences.”, he replied while he playfully smacked the back of the blond head.

“Not the point though…”, he continued. “It’s not like I want to jump him, I just get more attuned with every hour. He smelled distressed earlier, it really got to me.”  
“What do you want to do now?”  
The alpha shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck and thought about it for a moment. “Well, I don’t want to turn into a beta scarecrow. Might get even worse, I’ve only been apart from him for two hours and you saw what happened…”  
He looked at his friend, the alphas voice somewhat defeated while Armin gently squeezed his arm in encouragement. “I’m… scared, you know? What if I become aggressive like that guy on the news? I might hurt someone.”

“Hey…”, Armin’s hand wandered to his shoulder, staying there with a warm, calming presence on Eren’s skin and he shook his head without a trace of doubt in his face. “You’d never hurt someone, don’t talk like that.”  
“I think I’m influencing him too.”, the alpha murmured, unwilling to deepen the topic, wallow in self-pity and worry about things he couldn’t change. “They didn’t really talk about it, but I guess they’re not just doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.”  
“You want to support him.”, Armin stated and Eren nodded in confirmation.  
“I can’t help it. I want to be good for him. Is that weird?”

His friend chuckled in mild amusement and shook his head while he tried to find his breath again. “You sound like a romantic.”  
“Ugh… whatever.”  
“Look, just sleep over it and talk to him tomorrow and then you can decide if you want to come with me or give your parents a call.”

Armin was right. He felt the exhaustion from the long journey and the turmoil in his body, caused by a sudden rut and the overwhelming omega presence and it was probably not a good idea to make decisions in his condition. A night of sleep would clear his head and help him to figure out what to do next in the morning.  
“Armin?”, he stopped his friend, who was getting up to retreat to their own room.  
“I know you’re a big fan and all but… You really need to keep this to yourself, ok? Seems like Levi doesn’t want people to know about his gender.”  
Armin smiled reassuringly. “Of course, don’t worry about it, my lips are sealed.”

He engulfed Eren in a brief hug, before he made his way to the door and left the alpha behind in the suite, his head filled with silence and the knowledge that the omega was sleeping in the next room.  
He could only hope, that the next day was going to be less dramatic.

 

~~~

 

The first thing he felt in the morning was a small hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him.  
“Hey wake up…”  
Eren groaned, shielding his eyes from the sun, while his neck screamed in agony from the weird position he had been sleeping in. A couch that could comfortably fit his tall frame was a rare sight for the alpha and the small, stylish piece of furniture in the suite definitely didn’t fulfill the required criteria.

Levi’s face was hovering over him, when he managed to blink his eyes open and he sighed happily, as the first hints of roses and lilies reached his nose. “Smells good…”  
A soft chuckle catapulted him into the present and he sat up, startled and embarrassed by his sleepy confession. “Ah, fuck. Sorry!”  
The model stood up, a smirk still on his lips and reached out to hand him a steaming cup of coffee that had already made its way to the couch table. “You got some sleep?”  
“Yeah, was alright.”, he took the hot beverage, bending his neck this way and that to loosen the stiffness in his muscles and thanked Levi for serving him.

“It’s only 6:30, but I wanted to have a chat before Erwin and Hange invade the scene again.”  
“You usually get up that early?”, Eren took a tentative sip from his cup, careful not to burn his tongue.  
“Yes and no. Depends on the jobs I have during the day. I like to get up early but… It’s gotten hard lately.”  
“Your suppressants give you a hard time?”

The model looked at him in surprise and nodded. “How did you know?”  
“Was the same for me.”, Eren answered with a shrug. “Took years to adjust the dosage and the side effects were killing me.”, he frowned for a moment, remembering yesterdays conversation with the physician on the plane. “But Hange is working on yours fulltime, no? Why is it taking so long?”

Levi sighed, putting his own coffee down on the table again and rubbed the back of his neck.  
“Because she’s developing something from scratch for me. I can’t take any of the available omega suppressants. I’m a man.”  
“Oh…” Eren nodded mechanically, before he averted his eyes to spare Levi the pitiful look he was wearing. It had never occurred to him that a male omega couldn’t use the medicine for the females, but hearing it from the celebrity now, it was actually quite obvious. No matter their secondary gender, they were still born male or female and had different hormones, chromosomes, the whole nine yards. “Sucks.”

“It’s better since yesterday.”, revealed the small man and Eren’s eyes flew back to him.  
“Because of me?”  
“That would seem to be the most plausible explanation, don’t you think?”  
The alpha started to grin and Levi rolled his eyes but it didn’t manage to dampen the pride that was welling in Eren’s chest at the omegas words.  
“I will stay with you.”

Levi’s eyes went wide, and his eyebrows raised to new heights. “What?”  
“I’m good for you, right? You are good for me. We can complement each other’s fucked up bodies… or…”, the alpha slowed down now, thrown off by his own thought process. “… Did you change your mind?”, Eren frowned, uncertainty taking over in his expression and Levi chuckled at the sight, as well as the man’s choice of words.  
“No. No, I did not. Thank you Eren.”

The empty cup in Levi’s hand ended up on a counter at the side of the room, where the hotel staff would pick it up later, when they cleaned the room.  
He gave Eren a quick summary of the day – a run to which the alpha was welcome to join him, followed by one hour of power yoga, a quick shower and breakfast at nine. The model told him that his morning routine was usually taking more time, but he would refrain from getting dolled up by himself today, because he would get styled at his photo shooting around noon anyways.  
Levi’s days were filled with an incredible amount of workouts and Eren wondered if he would actually be able to keep up with the omega, since he certainly looked the part, but didn’t do much sport at the end of the day. His ripped build was a part of his dynamic, as if his body automatically forced all his resources into forming muscles, no matter if he used them or not.

The model slept little, not only because of his suppressant induced insomnia, but because he was apparently always doing something when he didn’t have appointments or worked out, be it checking on his social media presence, writing columns for different lifestyle magazines or managing his own fashion line, perfume label and half a dozen charity projects he was involved with. Eren understood three things pretty quickly: Levi was working _a lot_ , Levi had a lot more staff than the alpha thought with Erwin and Hange being the omegas only constant company and Levi was filthy rich.

Being too small for the runway, the man rather seemed to be an icon when it came to magazine covers, print advertisements and tv commercials. Combining his public fame with the companies running in his name, Levi owned a giant enterprise, employing hundreds of people and probably making millions and Eren would have most likely known all of that, if he had ever listened to one of Armin’s monologues about his idol.  
“How old are you?”, he interrupted the model, who was currently explaining his different business endeavors to give Eren an understanding of his job and his daily life.  
“26.”  
“Fuck…”, the alpha blinked in a mix of horror and admiration. “That’s… really impressive.”

The omega grinned and shook his head. “Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s a team effort. I’ve got a lot of smart people working for me who whisper the right things into my ear. I didn’t make it so far by being a perfect model-entrepreneur-lawyer-whatnot hybrid.”  
“Makes sense…”, Eren mumbled and finished tying his shoes, before they took off for their morning run.

By the time they returned, sweaty and exhausted, they found Erwin, Hange and Armin sitting in the suite waiting for them.  
Eren was satisfied with his condition, feeling a lot less worn out than expected and thanked his body for his cooperation and not failing him next to the omega, who had already rolled out a mat and did a few pushups, before he started his yoga session.  
“He’s staying with us.”, he announced finally with a strained voice, while he lifted himself in some sort of exotic handstand and Eren gulped, feeling how he was almost about to drool from the overpowering omega scent, that only increased in intensity with every new drop of sweat that formed on Levi’s body .

Armin and Hange squealed in delight, while Erwin chose not to comment on Levi’s words and pressed his lips into a thin line.  
What followed was yet another summary of the day, the physician firing questions at the model if he was in need of any medication – which Levi declined – and asking for new blood samples and Erwin pulling a crap ton of paperwork from a briefcase on the table.  
“I’ve got two NDA’s…”, he shot a nonchalant smile in Eren’s direction, “…which you and Mr. Arlert _will_ sign. And here…”, the manager pointed at a pile of pages, held together by a paper clip, “… is Eren’s contract.”

“What am I going to do?”, he took the papers from Erwin’s hand and let his eyes wander over the first paragraph.  
“Bodyguard.”  
“What?”  
Hange clapped her hands together. “That’s perfect! You’re tall and toned like a Greek god and it gives you an excuse to stay with Levi around the clock. It’s not even going to be weird if anyone finds out that you’re an alpha, they’re perfect guard dogs after all. It’s totally believable!”  
Eren grimaced at her description of his kind, but didn’t correct her, knowing from the few hours that they had spend together, that the woman simply didn’t have any sort of filter when it came to talking about secondary genders and that she probably didn’t mean to insult him.

“He needs new clothes.”, Levi’s feet sank to the ground in a slow, fluent motion, before he stood up, shaking his beet red head. “If you work for me, you have to look the part. Go shower and then we’re having breakfast. We can drop your friend off at the airport, but we won’t have time for much more and we have to go shopping tonight. I can’t bring you to a fashion show tomorrow, looking like this.”

 

~~~

 

“Levi!”  
A small redhead made her way through the set and took his hands to greet him with a kiss on both cheeks.  
“Thanks for coming, Petra.”  
“Don’t mention it!”, her laugh was cheerful and warm, and she released his fingers to throw a curious look at Eren, who towered at Levi’s side.

He had expected that the morning would be busy but reality had hit even harder than his wildest imaginations, when the omega had rushed him through the shower, picked his wardrobe apart with wild curses until he found something bearable and made the driver race to the airport and the set, after their quick breakfast, which – in all honesty – was a joke.  
They might have tried to eat but the model had nothing but a smoothie – a fucking smoothie – and as soon as his fill was empty, he ushered them out of the suite, uncaring if they were still in the middle of it or not.

The insane amount of people that had already stopped them in the lobby for pictures and autographs was followed by an even more insane bulk of photographers, that chased them throughout the whole city to get a snapshot of the celebrity.  
When Armin had left the car, he practically had to make a run from it, to lose them in the crowded airport, because some of the paparazzi went after him to question him about his connection to the model in a language the small blond man didn’t even understand.

It was ridiculous, Levi was only human after all but the sheer interest in his person was overwhelming and foreign to Eren and it impressed him how the small man just shrugged it off and went on, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“And who’s that piece of eye candy?”, the woman’s – Petra’s –  voice pulled him from his retrospection and he felt his cheeks warm up in a light blush, while Levi turned to him with a faint smile.  
“That’s Eren, he’s working for me.”  
“Oh, you’re making him work, all right.”, she replied with an open laugh and the tips of Eren’s ears turned red at her words, but the omega just rolled his eyes.  
“That’s Petra. She’s my makeup artist and hair stylist when I’m in Europe.”  
“Easiest job of my life. It’s not like Levi needs a lot of help to look good.”, she added with a sweet smile, before she pointed in the direction next to the set. “Shall we?”

Petra was nice, funny and genuine and Eren listened to them talking like childhood friends, while she did her magic and turned Levi into a sultrier version of himself with heavy eye makeup and glistening lips.  
The alpha didn’t care if men decided to wear makeup – to each their own was his opinion on the matter – but it wasn’t something he found beautiful. The model could pull it off though, with his striking facial features that were carefully enhanced by Petra’s skilled hands and his perfect skin, that looked even smoother from the numerous products the woman had applied, to give him a healthy glow.

“Easy there, tiger…”, Levi whispered at some point when she walked a few meters away to plug in a hair dryer and Eren’s eyes went wide before he sniffed discreetly, wondering what his scent was giving away.  
Just as he had told Armin, he became more and more aware of all the nuances in Levi’s fragrance and guessed that the omega experienced the same. He had smelt the models scent right from the beginning but the longer they stuck together, the easier it became to read the thousand little differences that he started to pick up and no matter how indifferent the small man looked at all times, his emotions seemed like an open book to Eren, easily accessible by the way his odor was changing in various situations.

Annoyance, anger, amusement, happiness – the alpha sensed the traces of it all with his nose and after their few hours in the morning, he felt as if they had already established some sort of silent understanding, always knowing what was going on with the other one, when no one else could make a guess.

Eren knew that Erwin was observing it with great displeasure, but it wasn’t as if either Levi or Eren could fight what happened automatically and came to them in such a natural way and at the end of the day, he wasn’t presumptuous enough to think, that nobody would ever be able to understand Levi as he did.  
He barely knew the man, didn’t learn yet what was driving or motivating him or what he thought, but was simply able to discern if Levi’s words matched his feelings.  
Still, it was something only the two of them shared and he felt content, now that his dynamic was finally put to some use and he could behave as biology had intended for him.

That Levi felt comfortable around him, knowing that he was laid bare in front of Eren and couldn’t bullshit him because his scent would always give him away eventually, only reassured the alpha further.  
It was a new experience for both of them, because there were things they couldn’t hide from each other even though they had only met the day before but Eren felt no embarrassment, no matter how intimate it was for him, because ultimately this was how it was meant to be for their kinds and it felt normal and right.

It was when the model asked him if he was bored, after another thirty minutes of watching him getting prepared – no end in sight – that the alpha decided to experiment with their new connection.  
Levi looked at him expectantly in the mirror with a raised eyebrow, when Eren didn’t answer and kept his expression stoic and empty but his scent seemed to reach the small man only seconds later – calming and soothing, because Eren thought of a day at the ocean – and a small grin spread on the models face with newfound understanding in his eyes.

“That’s good.”, he played along, only to add another question to test the alpha further. “Do you miss home?”  
This one took time, because he did but was fine with being here as well and he couldn’t control his scent at will so easily – it was a physical reaction, depending on his state of mind, that would always hold traces of his true, underlying emotions, even if he tried to tweak it.  
He thought of dead kittens, before he found the picture to extreme and discarded it, to move on to memories of the last exam he had passed at university. It had been stressful, but his work had paid of and he had been gifted with good results in the end.

The distress that tinged the air around them now, was noticeable but by no means intense, laced with small hints of relief and Levi nodded in understanding, before Petra interrupted their silent conversation.  
“What am I watching here? You’re a mentalist now?”  
Eren and Levi started to chuckle simultaneously, and the stylist shook her head with a sigh, before she advised the model to close his eyes and sprayed a misty cloud of _something_ over his hair.  
“Well that’s it, you’re ready to go.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new day, a new chapter. The first problems are showing on the horizon and our boys are spending more time together.  
> If you wonder why they aren't all over each other yet: Because it's still only the second day of their acquaintance. It's a slow build so I'm writing hell a lot of stuff, but it's really only the day after the meeting at the airport :D  
> I googled German and British tabloids for this chapter, it's crazy how ridiculous those things look and I'm pretty proud of myself, I could totally design this crap :P (Yes, the writing is so small on purpose, trust me, I did my research - I think they don't actually want you to read anything in those magazines, just look at the pictures :D)  
> Enjoy the chapter and feel free to leave me feedback, kudos and love (Because everyone needs a little love, me too, hehe :3)

The shoot was nothing like Eren had expected it to be, which only proved to him that television gave you a lot of bullshit ideas these days. There wasn’t any weird posing going on, the model just changed into different clothes, discussed his positioning in the next picture with the editor and the photograph and proceeded to stand or sit down for the shot. A few instructions followed to slightly adjust the angle of his face, or his arm, Petra scurried to the set to fix a stray strand of hair or dust his nose again and – click, click, click – he was done, next outfit.  
His makeup had taken twice as long as everything else combined and Levi spent most time of the shooting with changing, not with being photographed.

“It’s a wrap!”  
Eren’s head shot up, after being previously occupied with his phone and he watched Levi stalk back to his seat, where Petra started to remove his makeup, only to apply new products on his face for some sort of sophisticated, unobtrusive daytime look.  
The model changed into a new set of clothes that Erwin had brought him, apparently unwilling to wear his earlier outfit again and when he was finally ready to go, he seemed relieved.

“Ready for some shopping?”  
Eren didn’t answer, but thought of his mother’s cooking with a grin, that pleased him to no ends and Levi smirked as the warm scent of contentment started to surround him.  
His own fragrance changed soon after, however filled with irritation when he told Erwin and Hange to leave them for the day, which was met with heavy resistance and Eren wrinkled his nose while the omegas scent turned more bitter with every passing second.

“Maybe it’s better if I go and pick some clothes with him.”, offered the manager and Levi rolled his eyes, while Hange watched the unfolding scene with a scary smile but made sure to not get herself involved by adding anything to the conversation.  
“That would defeat the purpose of _why we are doing this_. He gets scary and I get headaches – we’re staying together, and you get off my back!”

Listening to the two of them bickering, he wondered why Erwin was so distrustful of him, considering that his strange condition had abated, now that he was close to the omega at all times. More so, he was helping Levi to keep his own health problems in check without the need of even more medication than what the two of them had to swallow and inject on a daily basis already, but that still didn’t seem to be enough reason for Erwin to keep him around.

“And what do you intend to tell the press, when they ask you why you go out to drown a young man in expensive gifts?”, Erwin retorted, and Levi rolled his eyes.  
“Why would I care? I’m paying _you_ good money to find an answer to that question!”  
Eren’s sigh went unnoticed by the two of them, but Hange chuckled and winked at the alpha, before she whispered a few encouraging words. “Don’t worry, Erwin just isn’t used to Levi speaking up to him.”  
“He seems to hate me.”, Eren murmured and the physician shrugged.  
“He’s jealous.”

About to stare at her in confusion and prod further, he suddenly felt a hand on his wrist, that was familiar in all the right ways.  
Levi yanked him away from the woman and started walking towards the exit, with Erwin still lamenting loudly behind them and Eren had to breathe through his mouth again, because being so close to the omega made him smell the scent of anger and frustration that emanated from the model with new intensity and it was so blatantly wrong in one of the most basic ways, that he had to stop Levi, as soon as they had left through the door.

“Fuck… You have to be careful with that shit, Levi.”  
The model turned to him, confusion obvious in his expression and he seemed to be unwilling to prolong their stay, even if it was only for a few seconds of conversation. “What are you talking about?”  
“You’re pissed.”, the alpha elaborated. “So pissed that I feel tempted to start a fistfight with your manager.”  
“Shit…”

Levi took a deep breath to calm himself, then another, before he shook his head. “Erwin is my friend, no matter how angry I might get. Keep that in mind, okay?”  
Eren answered with a curt nod, because he understood perfectly well what the omega actually tried to say: _Don’t beat him up, even if I start smelling like a dumpster._

“He really doesn’t like me…”, Eren mumbled without real purpose, while they walked towards the street to get a taxi.  
“I think he doesn’t understand it.”, the model raised a hand when a car passed them, before he motioned for Eren to enter the vehicle.  
“Hange said he is jealous.”, answered the alpha with a grin and Levi shrugged, when he rounded the car to take the spot on the other side of the back seat, only resuming their conversation when he was finished with forcing Eren to buckle up, because apparently people in Paris drove as if hellhounds were on their heels.

“Maybe she’s right. I always listen to him. He’s smart and reliable and I trust him but now there’s something he can’t comprehend, or plan for. If I had to make a guess, I’d say… he feels left out?”  
The alpha sighed, almost feeling sorry for the blonde manager who had build Levi into what he was today, only to be put on the sidelines by a stranger they had never met before, after merely 24 hours past their introduction.  
It was obvious, that the man cared for the model and Eren believed Levi, when he said that they were connected by friendship after so many years of working together. The omega probably had to share all of his life and all of his problems with his close staff. An easy thing to bond over, considering that the submissive gender was believed to be incredibly social and Eren saw the traces of it everywhere, no matter how abrasive Levi seemed to behave at times.

The celebrity was caring with his fans and had not only welcomed him, but also Armin at his side without a second thought. His relationships seemed to be carefully cultivated below the surface of shallow curses and insults and he had seen from the way the man had spoken to Petra, that he showed great interest in others and didn’t hesitate to be open and relaxed around them.  
Nothing about Levi was fake – an interesting trait for a person, that was working in the business of glamour and fame.

Erwin probably worried about the omegas wellbeing, about Eren taking advantage of those qualities, because Levi seemed to give his trust to others easily, in his own crooked, foul mouthed way and it would be a matter of time to convince the manager that Eren had no ill intentions. There was nothing he could do about it at the moment, because he might have seemingly earned the trust of the omega, simply granted because of his dynamic, but it would take a lot more for Erwin to open up to the stranger with the rare gender.  
He understood that, it was normal after all. Nobody in his right mind would decide to live with a person they’ve only met a few hours ago – especially not someone who was at the peak of high society – and that Eren and Levi had defied common sense and instantly acknowledged each other, must have been insanely stupid to watch from the outside.

The taxi dropped them off in a small street and despite having perfect sight, Eren squinted his eyes while he tried to read a sign on the wall of a house at the opposite side of the road. “Rue du Fau… bou…”  
Levi started to laugh, while the alpha struggled to pronounce the French name and he gave up with slumped shoulders, showing the model his best fake-hurt expression. “Rude. Where are we?”  
“Rue Saint-Honoré”, answered the small man smoothly.  
“Ah…”, replied Eren and looked down the street. He was no Armin, but he recognized hell a lot of the names he spotted on the buildings. “That’s your… designer street?”  
“If you want to call it like that.”

Feeling Levi’s small hand on his back, he was gently guided into the first boutique and a perfectly dressed woman greeted them in cheerful French, while kissing Levi’s cheeks. Smooching seemed to be a thing here.  
“You know her?”, he whispered, when the lady left them alone to get them a drink.  
“No.”, was the amused answer and Eren looked at him in confusion, while the model removed his jacket and draped it over a nearby chair, that looked as if it was worth a car.

Levi didn’t wait for the expertise of the woman who was currently pouring them refreshments but started to stroll through the store instead and the alpha wondered where to look exactly, because the shelves looked so _empty_.  
“You’re French, right?” “  
_Oui_.”, the model picked up a soft sweater and eyed it for a moment.  
“But you don’t have a home in Paris?”  
“I do.”

The omega missed how Eren furrowed his brows, still being occupied by the clothes in front of him. “But you’re staying at a hotel.”  
“I am unwilling to let Hange sleep in my sanctuary. Might as well drop a bomb there.”, he pushed the first item into Eren’s arms. “And Erwin doesn’t want me to stay there alone. He thinks I might get abducted by paparazzi’s or fans or both when I try to enter the building, which is probably reasonable.”  
“I could go with you!”, Eren blurted and Levi finally turned around, a meticulously groomed eyebrow rising, and the alpha felt the need to clarify his words when he met the models scrutinizing stare. “I mean if you’d rather be at home for once, I could go with you. I’m your bodyguard and all!”

“Hmm…”  
Levi’s reply was rather passive, but it couldn’t fool someone like Eren. Not when the scent of roses and lilies started to be filled with content and warmth and triggered feelings of home and hearth inside of him.  
Apparently, Levi missed his own place more than he let on.

 

~~~

 

Shopping with Levi had been exhausting but fun. The model had dressed him up like a doll and made him change into what felt like 200 different outfits but the look on the omegas face whenever he appeared in a new set of clothes was priceless and Eren couldn’t stop laughing, every time the small man muttered curses about his ‘ _unfairly perfect proportions_ ’ and ‘ _ridiculous height_ ’.  
The model was a prime example for a beautiful build but it seemed to be a lot harder for him to buy clothes with his small frame, a fact that frustrated him to no ends and he made sure to keep Eren aware of that at all times, rolling his eyes whenever another piece of fashion clung to the alpha so well, as if it was made for him.

It was late afternoon when they returned to the hotel after loading Levi’s credit card and Eren’s mood was cheerful and bubbly, because he had genuinely enjoyed his time with the omega, their conversations, too many shit jokes to count and the continuous bantering and teasing between them.  
Sadly the peace wasn’t meant to last.

“I’m moving to my apartment tonight.”  
Eren’s head shot up, while he set down the bags full of fashion items.  
The hotel staff had offered to handle it for him but he found the thought of leaving the clothes for someone else to carry unnecessary, when he barely felt their weight.  
“We talked about this Levi, it’s a risk to go there by yourself and even if nothing happens, you’d be delayed for most of your appointments.”, Erwin argued from the couch.  
“I’m not going by myself. Eren is coming with me.”

The alpha gulped, while deathly silence settled in the suite an he looked down to his bags and decided to empty them, instead of watching how the manager tried to castrate him with his glare.  
“Levi…”, Erwin murmured eventually, not sounding angry but incredibly tired from one moment to the other, but the omega didn’t wait for him to start one of his educational speeches.  
“He can’t sleep on this tiny couch forever and I want to go home. I have a guest room and he’s my bodyguard. I’m leaving.”

Eren cast a quick look at both men from the corner of his eye, when silence settled yet again, to find them staring at each other in some sort of wordless battle.  
“I can’t believe you… Levi, what’s gotten into you?”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?”  
The alpha groaned inwardly when he smelt the models distress and annoyance, but he managed to keep his mouth shut for now.  
“Levi, he is a _stranger_. You met him 24 hours ago and now you want to share an apartment with him – _alone!_ Do I really need to explain why this is a questionable choice?”

“Eren.”, he flinched when the omega called his name and looked up, hoping that the man didn’t intend to involve him in their quarrel.  
“Can you give us a moment? Maybe… Go see Hange or something. I’m sure she’s happy to suck some blood from you.”  
“Eh… yeah, sure…”

It took him a moment to drop the clothes and will himself to leave the omega alone, while rational thinking and instincts fought inside of him. Levi knew Erwin and Erwin knew Levi and if they wanted to have a private conversation, it was obviously for the best and their god damn right to do so, but at the same time it was hard for Eren to leave the model alone with a person, that caused him to smell so _wrong_.  
He needed a good three minutes to shuffle to the entrance with great reluctance under Levi’s soft gaze, because the alpha smelt concerned and worried by now and the omega easily picked it up.

“I’ll send you a text when we’re done, ok?”  
“Alright.”, he tried to smile while he nodded, before he opened the door and left to pay Hange a visit.

 

~~~

 

Hange didn’t seem too concerned when he showed up in her room and told her that Levi and Erwin were fighting. She just shrugged it off, mumbling something about how ‘ _Erwin has to grow up’_ and immediately turned her attention to Eren instead, to examine him.  
His arm sported a pretty big bruise by the time she was finished with drawing blood from him and he started to understand why Levi wasn’t a big fan of her ‘needle work’.

It took almost an hour, until he got word from the omega and returned to the suite.  
Erwin was gone and every window was open to air out the room but Eren was still able sense the faint remnants of their emotions with his well-trained nose, the anger, the concern, the frustration, mixed with the scent of roses and lilies and… _Guilt? Shame?  
_ “What happened?”

“Nothing.”  
He stepped to the couch and looked down at the petite man, before he gestured at the windows. “You know that this isn’t working, right?”  
Levi sighed, sinking further into the cushions and nodded. “Was worth a try.”  
“Want to talk about it?”, he flopped down next to him and eyeballed his expression. The model looked tired and disappointed and it pulled at Eren’s heartstrings with unexpected insistence.  
“Not really… Let’s just get out of here.”

Packing left him with a somber feeling. They barely said a single word to each other, Levi rummaging through the bedroom, while Eren bundled his new clothes into a few of the bigger shopping bags and rearranged his suitcase to seal his other belongings away, before he called the reception to get them a taxi.

The tense silence started to eat on him, but he understood that the celebrity didn’t want to spill, even if he couldn’t hide his feelings from Eren, considering that they barely knew each other and the mood only started to get better, when they had made their way to the entrance of the hotel and the taxi driver struggled with Levi’s ridiculously huge and insanely heavy luggage.  
Eren took the suitcase from his hands without batting an eye and started to fill the trunk by himself to the utter disbelief of their chauffeur, who gaped at him as if the alpha was some sort of superman and started to blabber a string of French words in his general direction, that coaxed a low chuckle from Levi’s lips.

“It’s true then, your kind is pretty strong, hm?”, the omega asked in English, ignoring the driver and not bothering to translate what he was quacking and Eren nervously rubbed the back of his neck as if he had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar by his mother.  
“Uh… yeah, I guess.”  
“You’ve always been like this?”  
Eren closed the trunk and shook his head, before they got into the car. “It started when I hit puberty, even before I presented actually. Doc said it’s normal and that in the past they could tell what tendency the children had, when more of us have been around but I guess today parents don’t bother anymore when their kid is a bit too energetic. I mean... what are the odds?”

Levi leaned forward to tell the driver his address, before he nodded at Eren’s words. “Your parents are betas?”  
“Yeah, seems like we had some alphas in our more recent ancestry though, so I got lucky… or unlucky, depends on how you look at it I guess.”  
“Are you? Unlucky?”  
He looked at the omega for a moment and shrugged eventually. “I don’t know… there have been times when it was really tough, it _still_ has a lot of downsides, but it has its advantages too. All this ‘ _superior genetics_ ’ bullshit sounds dumb at first but there is some truth to it. I don’t really get sick – ever. Physically I’m healthy and fit, it doesn’t matter if I don’t do sports or eat shit and I pick things up easily, am a fast learner…”, he grinned at the model for a moment. “And right now, it’s not so bad either.”

The omega gave him an unimpressed look and a soft slap at the back of his head and the alpha barked out a short laugh, that drew a smirk from Levi’s lips.  
“Got any other weird alpha traits?”  
“Yeah… quite some.”  
The model gestured for him to continue and Eren groaned. “Well… too much energy? Territorial, overprotective, short tempered, impulsive, possessive, –”  
“Wow. You didn’t strike me as the alpha archetype.”  
“Medication helps and most people around me usually don’t trigger my nasty alpha habits. I can feel it when it comes to my family or friends, but it gets easier with every year to keep my head clear.”

“What about me?”  
“Ah… well…”, Eren bit his lips, nervously looking at the expectant face next to him. “It’s a lot more… difficult?” He raised his hands in defense immediately. “But don’t worry! I’m not going to cause you trouble or… or hit Erwin or something like that!”  
The model started to laugh, deep and melodic and Eren relaxed, a shy grin on his lips, while he felt heat rise in his cheeks. “What about you?”  
“Cleaning.”  
“Cleaning?”  
“Yeah. Cleaning, cooking, decorating. The whole nest-building bullshit, I can’t stop it. I think I could make a second career as an interior designer.”  
“Wow that’s pretty ome– “, he stopped himself and looked at the driver, certain that the word was omnilingual. “Pretty typical.”, he finished instead.

“Yeah. Kids love me.”  
Eren’s eyes went wide. “You’re messing with me.”  
“Do I look as if I would make jokes about something like that? Fucking annoying is what it is, as if I have a magnet for children up my ass.”, Levi scowled, and the alpha felt a giggle bubble up in his throat.  
“They see right through your angry face into the big, motherly heart of a housewife? Ouch!”, another slap had hit his head, stronger this time, but the omega just rolled his eyes with a small smile on his lips.

 

~~~

 

He truly understood what Erwin had been worried about, when they entered the street to Levi’s apartment and the car was immediately swarmed by people, with cameras flashing through the windows and fans and paparazzi’s almost climbing the vehicle.  
“Jesus!”, Eren muttered and the omega heaved a sigh, before he paid the poor man who had driven them into hell.

“You actually really need a bodyguard. How do we want to do this? They will tear you apart if you just leave the car.”  
“Get out first and shield me, then get the luggage.”, he leaned forward again to let the driver know in French that he had to keep the trunk closed until Eren returned and the man confirmed with a nod.

“Well, here goes nothing.” The alpha braced himself, unbuckled and grabbed the handle, before he opened the door and jumped out as fast as he could, securely slamming the door shut behind him, before those lunatics could decide to hold their cameras into the car or try to climb in.  
The onslaught of questions in his direction went widely ignored, mostly because he didn’t speak the language and had no idea what they wanted from him, but they seemed to pick up quickly and when he opened Levi’s door, they were both met with a mix of French and broken English.

“ _Levi! Who is this friend of yours?_ ”  
“ _Mr. Ackermann, is this your boyfriend?_ ”  
The model left the car, secured by Eren’s strong arm around his shoulder and his other hand pressing Levi’s head close to his body.  
“ _How do you know Mr. Ackermann?_ ”  
“ _Levi, how long are you staying in Paris?_ ”

Eren blinked through the never-ending flashing of camera lights, while he made his way to the front door, but the group didn’t let go of them, some of them trying to touch the small man or shoving microphones into their faces in a way that made Eren’s guts churn.  
_“What’s your relationship with Levi?”  
_ “Almost there…”, he murmured for the omegas ears only and kept the crowd away from the door with his wide back, when Levi finally shoved the key into the lock and fled through the entrance.

He braced himself for a moment, taking a few deep breaths that he regretted immediately, because the scent of roses and lilies was already fading in the open street to be replaced by the stench of two dozen betas, who didn’t seem to understand the idea of personal space.  
Turning around, he made fast, wide strides back to the car, ignoring the people, that pulled on his sleeves and tried to stop him.  
_“Are you staying here?”_  
_“What’s your name?”_  
“Are you living with Levi?”

He knocked at the window of the front passenger seat and the driver understood and opened the trunk of the taxi, when Eren had made his way to the rear of the car, before he got out as well and helped him to empty it.  
The alpha heard confused mumbling among the people, when he lifted several suitcases at once, without any sign of effort an pushed his way back to the house, followed by the intimidated driver who held one or two additional bags, that Eren hadn’t managed to put under his arms.  
_Fuck_ , it was stinking around him.

Levi must have been watching him through the spyhole, since the door opened again as soon, as he climbed the steps to the entrance and Eren almost threw the suitcases into the hallway, turned around to grab the bags from the driver and stormed into the house, before Levi slammed the door shut again.  
“God damn it!”, he dropped the shopping bags to pull the omega to his chest and a startled yelp slipped from Levi’s lips, when Eren buried his nose in the crook of the models neck and inhaled huge gulps of air, muttering apologies and chanting Levi’s name like a mantra.

“Eren…?”, he tried, caged by the massive frame of the alpha and unable to untangle himself from the mans strong arms.  
“Just… just a moment…” Eren whispered between labored breaths that made it seem as if he had run a marathon and Levi lowered a hand to tentatively pat one of his shoulders, while he sniffed the air and felt Eren’s hot panting on his skin.  
The sour stink made his nose twitch, but it already started to fade to be replaced by the content scent of the huge man and when Eren finally let go, he coyly averted his gaze with a faint blush on his cheeks.

“I’m sorry… I…”  
“You were worried.” It was a statement, not a question, because Levi had clearly smelt it in the air only seconds ago, but his voice didn’t mock Eren and the tall man dared to look down and meet the omega’s silver eyes with a nod.  
“They…” The alpha frowned, trying to explain his behavior, because now that the models scent cleared his mind, it was easy to tell that he had acted on instinct. Inhaling the omegas scent to assure himself of his wellbeing was the fastest and easiest method for an alpha, because he would detect any physical or psychological damage, any distress in Levi’s fragrance.

Why he had felt the need to do that was an entirely different question though.  
“I think… because they touched you?”, he mumbled, thinking back to the moment when they had walked up the stairs and people had tried to pull on Levi’s clothes. “And they _stank_ … I couldn’t breathe.”  
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t cause me any trouble?”, the omega reminded him of their conversation in the taxi and Eren’s eyes shot up, wide with horror, before he saw the grin on Levi’s lips and groaned.

“You’re terrible… But I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep your boundaries. I wasn’t… thinking.”  
“Don’t sweat it, at least you kept it together out there, but we should probably tell Hange.”  
“Hange?”, he shot Levi a confused look and the omega answered with a nod.  
“That we’re close to each other helps to suppress some of your alpha traits but it also seems to intensify others, don’t you think?”  
“I…”, he blushed again while Levi was pointing out his obvious lack of control.  
“You grow protective of me and it seems to happen fast. I guess it’s normal, but I want to be sure that you don’t start snapping at people. You’re an alpha after all.”

Eren sighed, thinking back to the news report about the Icelandic man and wondered if he was going to start assaulting people in a few days if they only so much as came near the omega. This was exactly what he had tried to avoid by staying with Levi and now he became uneasy by the close proximity of strangers to the small man.  
The model tried to calm him with the thought, that he had probably reacted that way, because Levi had clearly shown that the attention was _unwanted_ , but in the end Eren could only agree, that it would be good if they remained cautious.

 

~~~

 

“Now you’ve done it. I think Erwin is going to stay in his room and sulk for the entire fashion week. Probably pop up here and there to say, _‘I told you so’_.”  
Hange threw her jacket in the general direction of the coat hanger, only for it to hit the wall and fall to the ground, before she walked down the hallway with her shoes still on her feet.  
Levi’s brow was already twitching in irritation and Eren took it as his responsibility to stop her and tell her to put on some slippers instead.

“Aww, trying to please the omega? So cute!”, she squealed, and he blushed profoundly, but couldn’t bring himself to feel embarrassed when the scent of roses and lilies started to carry so much satisfaction and relief.  
The model had clearly told him that he didn’t want Hange in his home and it was thanks to Eren, that the omega had to reconsider his decision. He was trying to be mindful of the rules of Levi’s sanctuary and didn’t want to add further to the celebrity’s displeasure. If that meant to force Hange to contain her chaos and take her shoes off, he was dead set on making that happen.

“Told me what?”, Levi hang her jacket and followed them into the living area, where Hange plopped down on a huge armchair to the omegas obvious chagrin.  
Eren eyed the small man for a moment, before he looked back to the woman and spoke without a second thought. “That’s Levi’s chair.”

Both heads turned in his direction and Hange commented with a simple “Oh.”, before she got up, apparently seeing something in Eren’s expression that convinced her not to challenge him and took a seat on the couch instead.  
The alpha had talked without much pondering, guided by the omegas expression and scent but now that he took a closer look, he could tell that he had been right. The armchair was massive and cushioned and looked soft, stuffed with pillows and had several blankets draped over its armrests. It was so typical omega, that only an idiot wouldn’t understand right away, that this was Levi’s spot but he had already learned that Hange usually displayed some ignorance for the obvious, while she latched onto other things with ease that seemed like rocket science to most people.

Levi’s whole apartment was a testament to his secondary gender and looked nothing like what people would probably expect from a stylish fashion icon. It wasn’t empty like a designer loft with open rooms and polished, sleek surfaces but filled with light, stuffed with an armada of potted plants and tinged in soft colors. It contained a lot of textured surfaces like fluffy carpets, smooth pillows, even a few fake furs that decorated the couch and the floor and was simply homey, warm and incredibly cozy with its huge bookcases, old fashioned furniture and lovely decoration.  
Levi was right, he could definitely work as an interior designer if he wanted to, considering how perfectly everything fit together in this place and how comfortable it felt to be here.

“Told me what?”, the omega repeated eventually, when he had taken his place in the giant armchair and Hange didn’t waste a second and pulled a tablet from her giant bag – probably filled with more medicine than you could find in a pharmacy – to start typing a few things on the device.

It was late evening by now, and Eren felt it in his bones, because he had gotten up at 6:30 in the morning, but they had decided to give Hange a call right away, since they would have to leave the house again on the next day and wanted to make sure that Eren wouldn’t snap.  
Levi hadn’t been happy when the physician told him that she would come over, but had accepted begrudgingly and it had taken the woman only thirty minutes to show up on his doorstep.

“Here.”, she said and handed him the tablet.  
The omegas eyes flew over the screen and Eren smelt how his scent turned bitter with annoyance, but it didn’t seem as bad as earlier, when he had fought with Erwin.  
“What’s wrong?”, he asked, hoping that they would let him in on whatever the physician had shown Levi on the tablet and the omega gave him the device without a word, before he turned back to Hange.

“So what? Eren works for me, Erwin can publish a statement.”  
Eren stared at the screen, reading the front page of a tabloid website, that seemed to contain the news for tomorrows print issue and swallowed thickly. He turned his gaze back to Levi, then Hange who shrugged and grinned at the omega, apparently entertained by the article to no ends.  
“I don’t want to be a killjoy here but I think it’s probably a bit too late for that.” 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this chapter was so difficult for me. I don't know why, but I rewrote and reworked it so many times - not because of the content but because of my writing, I just didn't like it and I couldn't seem to get it right and found it weird/unpleasant to read, every time I looked it over again. I decided to give up now and just post it, so that I can move on, before I decide to throw it away and write the whole chapter again, because I'm getting annoyed of the chapter and don't want to keep you waiting :D The next one will be better! (I hope, haha) And I'm really looking forward to write something new now and not open the same text for several days in a row and get frustrated about it :P  
> I've planned 3 to 4 main conflicts in this story and the first (smaller) one is right around the corner, you'll get a glimpse at it in this chapter already (At least that's what I think... well just keep reading and you'll find out what the hell I'm talking about :D)
> 
> Thanks for your kudos, comments and love. I love, love, love your feedback and I'm so happy that so many of you like my little story :) <3

Hange listened closely to Eren’s explanations and took notes but she couldn’t do much for him, without the results from his blood samples. As long as she didn’t know how exactly Levi influenced him, she couldn’t adjust his suppressants or medicate him otherwise and decided, that it would be best for the next day, if she came with Erwin to pick them up and bring them to the car separately. At least it would avoid, that the alpha was exposed to similar circumstances again, if he only left the house when Levi was already safely sitting in the car.

Eren was exhausted, when Levi finally kicked his physician out of his home and decided to accept for now, that they were all just ignoring the elephant in the room – a picture of him on the front page of several tabloids with speculations about his relationship to Levi – in favor of finally getting to bed.  
“Here’s the guestroom.”, the omega opened a door on the first floor of his two-storied apartment – apparently there was another flat on top of his own, accessible through a different entrance in the building. “It has its own bathroom over there.”  
Levi entered the room and pointed at one of two doors on the other side of the wall. “The other is a walk-in closet, where you can put your stuff. You know where the kitchen is, if you get hungry. It should be stocked. My room is upstairs if you need anything.”

Setting his bags and suitcase down on the bed, the alpha thanked Levi for his hospitality and started to unpack. He needed his toiletries to get ready for bed and decided it would be easier to sort all of his stuff away, while he was at it.  
The omega left him to his own devices, probably ready for a good night of sleep as well and Eren made quick work of settling in, before he went to brush his teeth in the luxurious bathroom, complete with a huge tub, soft towels and several shelfs that could hold hundred times as many cosmetic products as the young man owned.

The room was nice, really, just like every other part he had seen of the omegas home, full of plants, with crème colored walls and curtains and a myriad of pillows and blankets on the bed, that was big enough to fit Eren’s huge frame.  
A little coffee table with two armchairs and a desk, as well as a bookshelf with French literature, that the alpha ignored for now, filled the rest of the space and he knew that he’d probably have the best sleep of his life within these walls.  
Levi’s home was a haven, an oasis of tranquility built with care and love and filled with the scent of roses and lilies and Eren had never felt as calm and content as in the omegas nest.

 

~~~

 

Levi woke from his sleep with a hammering heart and needed a moment to gather himself and figure out where he was. When he turned his head to look at the alarm clock on his bedside table, that showed 3:24 in glowing numbers, he realized what had pulled him from his dreams.  
“Oh for fucks sake…”  
The small man kicked the pile of blankets off, that he had buried himself under, took another whiff of air in, filled with Eren’s scent and his obvious arousal, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. When his naked feet touched the fluffy carpet, he sighed and relished the feeling of his toes rubbing on the soft surface of the fabric for a moment, waiting for his drowsiness to dissipate, before he got up to find the horny alpha and give him a piece of his mind. He had a fucking busy day ahead and needed to sleep.  
If the man wanted to jerk off, he better did it elsewhere or at least at a different time.

He shuffled down the stairs on bare soles and knocked at the door of the guestroom, almost feeling dizzy from the smell that emanated from within and seeped into the hallway, but his efforts to get Eren’s attention were met with silence and no change in the overwhelming fragrance.  
He braced himself, grabbed for the handle and opened the door, only to be flooded by another wave of pheromones, so strong that it almost turned his legs to jelly and he rather groaned than spoke when he addressed the alpha and hit the light switch. “Oi, brat.”

There was no change in the rise and fall of Eren’s chest under the covers when Levi observed his sleeping form and the omega sighed, willing himself to wake the man up and endure the embarrassing situation they would have to face as soon as the alpha was rising from his wet dream.  
“Eren.” He made a few steps in the direction of the unconscious form and reached out with his right arm, to shake his shoulder when he arrived at the bed.  
“Eren!”, he called a few more times to no avail and was almost considering if it was worth it to wet the mattress by emptying a bucket of water in Eren’s face, before he made another half-assed attempt to wake the alpha by shaking his shoulder.

It was in the very moment that his fingertips touched Eren’s arm, that the alphas eyelids shot open, his gaze still glazed with sleep, and he grabbed Levi’s wrist in a flash and forced a surprised sound from the omegas lips, while the man’s hold started to cut the blood circulation from his hand within seconds.  
It hurt. It really hurt, and Levi realized, that Eren could break bones with his bare hands, while he instinctively started to pull back from the bed.  
“Fuck! Let me go!”, he complained, uselessly tugging at his arm but the iron grip only grew stronger, turning more painful the longer it lasted, while the alpha dragged him closer with a dazed stare and Levi started to fight back more vigorously by bracing himself against the frame of the bed.  
“Eren! _Let go!_ ” He reached for the hand around his wrist and tried to pry the young man’s fingers open but didn’t succeed, overwhelmed by his sheer strength and Levi felt the first tingle of fear bubbling in his gut when he was forced closer to the mattress.  
Eren was an alpha and Levi got nothing on him, the brat could probably lift him with his pinky if he wanted to.

It was only when Eren finally blinked the sleep away and his vision focused on the model after a few more seconds of panicked struggling and yelling another “ _EREN!_ ” at him, that his grip loosened, and the omega gracelessly plopped to the ground.  
“Levi…?”  
Said man hastily crawled a few meters away until his back hit the wall behind him, while Eren sat up in the bed and rubbed his sleepy eyes.  
“What are you doing here?”, the alpha asked before he paused for a moment and frowned. “Why are you smelling like that?”

Eren lifted his legs over the edge of the mattress, the blanket falling from his bare chest and Levi flinched at the sudden movement, bringing the alpha to a complete halt with his face scrunched up in worry and uncertainty.  
“Levi…?”  
The model covered his bruised wrist with his left hand, unable to drive the bitterness of anxiety from his scent and Eren’s face softened, while he looked at the little pile of omega on the ground, who was calming himself with a few deep breaths, now that the immediate danger seemed to be gone. “Hey, talk to me. Did I scare you?”

“A little…” When Levi revealed his pale arm, already tinged with red marks from Eren’s fingers, the alphas scent started to add to the sour smell in the room and filled it with traces of guilt and shame.  
“Fuck, I’m sorry!”  
The model sighed and the young man before him frowned again, getting up now to sit down in front of him and look at his wrist. “Maybe Erwin was right… I knew that you have a lot of strength, but I was convinced it would never turn against me.”

“It wouldn’t, you know that!”, Eren exclaimed almost offended, while he looked up and ran his fingers gently over Levi’s abused skin. “You’re an omega, you feel it don’t you? I would never willingly hurt you.”  
“You did though.”, Levi whispered with a pout.  
“I was just… not really awake. Guess I took you for an intruder or something. Just… punch me next time?”  
“I’m sorry?”  
A nervous laugh bubbled from Eren’s lips. “Hit me. It probably won’t even hurt me, but it should wake me up.”

Levi sighed again, retracting his arm from Eren’s hand while he shook his head half in disbelief, half in amusement over the alphas suggestion and the young man looked at him sheepishly.  
“I’m really sorry Levi. Really, really sorry.”  
“Yeah, I get it. No hard feelings.”  
Eren searched his face for moment and his nostrils flared, as if he wanted to make sure that Levi was honest with him, but the model wasn’t going to kick him out of the house because of a bad wake up, when his instincts had been just as jumbled as Eren’s during the last two days. The alpha was strong and looking at it now, Levi understood a bit better why Erwin had refused the idea that he stayed alone with a stranger, who could overpower him so easily but his gut feeling towards the young man hadn’t changed, even if Eren had scared the shit out of him for a moment. He believed him when he said, that he would never think of hurting him and Levi wasn’t a damsel in distress who couldn’t land a few punches if it was necessary to get away, even if he couldn’t beat the alpha when it came to physical strength.  
They stared at each other in silence for a moment, their scents calming down and Eren smiled with relief eventually, when he saw the sincerity in Levi’s face.

“Why did you come? Did you need something?”  
The omega looked up, suddenly a little embarrassed and feeling heat in his cheeks, even though it had been Eren who was filling the house with his lewd stench. “You… eh…”, he mumbled, before he cleared his throat. “I smelt you, I couldn’t sleep.”  
“You smelt me?” The alpha cocked his head like a confused puppy and Levi rolled his eyes.  
“The whole house stinks like horny teenager you dimwit.”

Eyes growing wide like saucers, the shade of Eren’s face went through the whole palette of the rainbow, turning pale, then green and finally bright red, before he groaned like a dying cow and forced his stiff body into motion to slap both hands on his face and hide his burning cheeks from the omega. “Oh my god…”  
His hands fell from his face in the next second and he stared at him in horror, when the implication of his behavior, combined with his smell hit him and he grabbed for Levi’s shoulders frantically, stopping himself from shaking the small man in the last second. “Oh my god! Oh god… Please don’t take me for a creep! I’m so sorry! I would never do _that_ to you! You believe me, don’t you?”  
Eren was almost _whining_ now and it made Levi feel uncomfortable in a whole new way.

“Geez, stop! Don’t start crying ok?”, he reached out, patting Eren’s shoulder mechanically and avoided his gaze, feeling cringy as hell, while he listened to the man’s hysterical mumbling.  
A sobbing alpha was the last thing he wanted to see today, and he got up in an attempt to flee the scene to give Eren time to remember that he was a grown man, not a toddler. “I will make tea. Just… get it together.”

He headed for the kitchen with Eren on his tail, who was still rambling apologies and Levi told the man to sit down and shut the fuck up, while he heated water for them.  
The alpha looked almost pathetic, wallowing in self-pity and embarrassment about his actions, until the model set a cup of tea down in front of him and urged him to drink it while it was still hot to give him something to do other than focusing on their little encounter a few minutes ago.  
“Stop beating yourself up about it.” The glance he received was skeptical, before Eren’s eyes wandered to Levi’s wrist that started to turn blue in stark contrast to his pale, translucent skin and the omega heaved a sigh and hid his bruised arm under the tabletop, before he stretched his other hand over the table.

“Look, brat. I’m just as new to this as you and I’ve got some things to feel sorry about as well. I’m a grown man and I’m older than you, you don’t need to treat me like a little girl. We won’t get anywhere if we let everything get to us.”  
He felt Eren’s hand carefully brushing his fingers and he squeezed it, before he held it in a loose grip. “What would you be sorry for?”  
“It doesn’t matter that you know me from television, does it? I’m just as much of a stranger to you, as you are to me. I sent you into rut because I wasn’t careful and now you can’t stay apart from me. You didn’t exactly get a warm welcome from Erwin and you’ll be on the front page of a dozen magazines, no matter of you want it or not.” The omega shrugged and cast his eyes downwards to his cup of tea for a moment. “I’m used to this crap but I kind of just got you involved and you didn’t have much of a choice in it.”

“But it’s alright, no?”, Eren answered and Levi wondered if the man had lost his marbles and gave him a quizzical look, that encouraged the alpha to continue. “We barely know each other but…”, he stared at his own cup now while his ears turned red. “… it feels good, no? To have someone who…”, he gulped, his nerves getting the better of him and Levi grinned, before he made an attempt to finish Eren’s sentence “To have someone who understands you in such a profound way?”  
“Yes…”, the alpha nodded, before he looked up and smiled at him coyly with bright eyes and red cheeks.

Levi leaned back with a hum and took another sip of his tea. “It’s strange that I can’t hide anything from you and I wished I wouldn’t have to deal with your wet dreams.”  
The face of the young man fell instantly and the celebrity smirked at him, before he added “But yeah, it’s good.” and a smile brighter than the sun spread on Eren’s lips at his words, making the model chuckle.

He knew that his dynamic did the talking in the matter and the risk of regretting his decision to stay with the alpha was very real, but he still stood by the words he had told Erwin two days ago in the hallway of the hotel.  
Nobody would ever understand him in the way Eren could and it may have only been 48 hours since their fated meeting, but he enjoyed how easily he trusted the man and managed to connect with him, even if this behavior defied common sense.  
Levi knew a _lot_ of people and had a decent amount of close friends and connections but the alpha in front of him would always stick out, because he calmed something essential and primal inside of him, that no other person in his life could even begin to touch.

“Guess we’re in this together, if we want it or not.”, the omega said with a shrug and Eren propped his head on his left hand and grinned. “Could be worse than living with a filthy rich top model if you ask me.”  
“You only want me for my money, don’t you?”, Levi sighed dramatically, and the alpha barked out a laugh, his eyes sparkling with glee, before he answered with a more serious tone.  
“Honestly, I’m glad to be around you. Your scent… It’s really something, you know?”  
He received a dumbfounded look from the omega and Levi was talking before his brain kicked into action to stop him. “Don’t let your girlfriend hear you.”

Eren just stared at him for a moment and turned his head away eventually with an awkward laugh on his lips. “Ah… well… there is… none?”  
They gulped simultaneously, an uneasy silence settling between them when neither of the two knew what to say and it was the model who cleared his throat in the end and pushed himself to his feet.  
“Well… We should sleep.”  
“Yeah. Right.” Eren got up and reached for his cup to bring it to the sink, but the model was already doing the same and both of them stopped mid movement, before Levi snatched the mug from the table.

“Alright, I’m just… going to go then…”, the alpha mumbled and turned around to hastily retreat and leave the small man behind in the kitchen, two cups in hand and a curious feeling in his belly.

 

~~~

 

“Damn! You look great guys!”  
Eren grinned and Levi could only agree to Hange’s comment.  
Despite them missing an hour of sleep in the previous night, both of them looked and felt refreshed and he had been surprised when he saw his own reflection in the mirror in the morning – glowing skin sans dark circles he usually carried under his eyes and always covered with makeup.  
His body seemed to work overtime in the presence of the alpha.

They had skipped their morning run to avoid the crowd in front of Levi’s apartment and Eren had tried to join him in his yoga session instead, which had turned out to be a hilarious hour full of laughter with little physical exercise.  
The alpha was as stiff as they came, couldn’t hold the easiest poses and tended to tumble to the ground in front of Levi’s eyes like a newborn calf, but he had been determined to keep going, even when the omega suggested sit-ups and push-ups for him as an alternative to his own regimen.

Thankfully the awkwardness from last night was gone and they didn’t speak another word about their late conversation at the kitchen table, much to Levi’s relief, considering that they had enough on their plate as it was, and he didn’t want to start dancing around his roommate, because they couldn’t hold a single conversation without embarrassing themselves.  
The important part was, that they had worked it out and the alpha knew that Levi didn’t hold a grudge against him for attacking him in his sleep, while the omega could be sure that Eren didn’t harbor any hard feelings about the media attention and his dependence on the model.

“Ready to go?”, Erwin asked with a glance at his watch and Levi answered with a nod, before he raised his arm to slip his sunglasses on his nose.  
“What is that?”, he heard his manager ask a moment later and turned his gaze to him with a questioning look, that was lost behind tinged lenses. “What is what?”

When he followed Erwin’s eyes to his right hand, that was still holding the frame of the glasses with his sleeve slightly slipped down, he closed his eyes with a silent curse on his lips and let his arm fall to his side. “Nothing, let’s go.”  
“Levi.”  
A strong hand held his elbow in the next second and he tried to step back from his manager and snatch his arm away, but Erwin was already pulling his sleeve up and revealed his bruised wrist with narrowed eyes and an angry expression.

“How did that happen?”, his head snapped around to Eren, pushing Levi behind himself in the process and taking a step towards the alpha. “You!”  
“Erwin leave it!”  
Eren’s eyes searched Levi’s briefly with uncertainty, that was washed away as soon as the blond man lunged himself at the alpha with a swinging fist, Levi and Hange right behind him trying to hold him back and shouting at Erwin to come to his senses but his manager was already striking out, uncaring of who exactly he had picked as his opponent.  
The alphas scent flared, when he dodged the first attack, one hand rising while Erwin had to find his balance after missing Eren and stumbling two steps forward and Levi’s eyes went wide with horror when he saw the swing of the young man’s arm, knowing his strength, knowing what it would do to Erwin’s skull and he screamed in terror at them, before Eren’s fist could connect with Erwin’s face.  
_“EREN! NO!”_

His hand stopped in the air mid movement, his eyes finding Levi’s, before Erwin’s next punch crashed into his jaw and Eren stumbled backwards, tumbling to the ground with a loud thud and the omega finally managed to get between them, while Hange grabbed Erwin on his collar and held him back.

“Eren?”, he cupped the abused cheek with his small hand, as soon as he fell to his knees next to the alpha, while Erwin was yelling at the physician to let him go and the young man groaned and moved his jaw experimentally.  
“Levi, get away from him!”  
His head flew around, an angry glare in his eyes, before he decided not to waste any energy on the agitated man and gave Hange a curt nod. “Get him away from us. Living room or kitchen.”

She complied, dragging the manager away with surprising strength, while Levi turned back to his guest and sighed. “Fuck, I’m so sorry… Thank you for holding back.”  
“Your wish is my command”, Eren chuckled and sat up, shaking his head lightly to test if anything else hurt, before he seemed to conclude that he was fine. “Are you alright?”  
“Me?”, Levi questioned, not quite understanding what the alpha was talking about, considering that he had received a punch in the face two minutes ago, but Eren just nodded with a concerned expression.  
“It’s difficult to be caught between two chairs.”

“You are so weird...”, deadpanned the omega and the young man grinned, before he got to his feet and threw a cautious glance down the hallway.  
“Maybe I should go.”  
“Yeah, I think I need to have a long talk with Erwin, but you should leave with Hange, in case you get strange again.”  
“Sorry for causing you trouble… Almost hit him in the end, even if I said I wouldn’t.”, Eren rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the ground and Levi shook his head.  
“You’re not even mad, are you?"  
The alpha looked up and shrugged. “Should I? It may have earned me a punch but… I had you on my side, no?”

 

~~~

 

“Hange! Get out of my way!”  
Levi sighed when he stepped into the living room and listened to the yelling of his friends from the kitchen.  
He had asked Eren to wait at the entrance, a little taken aback by the alphas words but he couldn’t say that the young man wasn’t spot on either. He had a deep, personal relationship with Erwin and the concern of his friend honored him, but it didn’t change that his outburst had been wrong and that whatever was going on between Levi and Eren was none of his business, if the omega said so.

“You don’t even know what happened Erwin! Maybe it was consensual?”  
“Are you kidding me?!”  
“Have you ever seen old pictures of omegas after mating? They look beaten black and blue and can’t walk for a week. Alphas are rough!”  
Levi rolled his eyes and quickly closed the distance to the kitchen, before his physician could plant any other absurd ideas into Erwin’s head and cleared his throat as soon as he entered the room. “I’m not fucking him, Hange. Stop talking bullshit.”

His friends turned around, Erwin instantly at his side, grabbing his shoulder and looking him over. “Levi, are you alright?”  
“Why wouldn’t I be?”, he brushed his friends fingers off and the blond man crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
“He hurt you Levi! Have you lost your mind to just ignore that?”  
“Have you lost your mind?”, he snapped back, and Erwin cocked a brow, his expression turning insecure for a second. “It was an accident! Which you would know if you would have listened to me! Since when do you start hitting people first and ask questions later? I don’t even recognize you anymore!”

Erwin’s shoulders slumped, some sort of doubt clearly showing in his face now, but Levi had only gotten started, becoming more and more worked up the longer he spoke. “Did you have _ANY_ idea what Eren is capable of before you decided to freak out? You are lucky that he listens to me like a fucking dog! He could have beaten your head to a pulp with a single blow!”  
His manager scoffed, before he turned to Hange but her serious expression and the confirming nod she gave him took the wind out of his sails.

“You don’t believe me? He doesn’t have a scratch Erwin! Just got up and shook his head, as if nothing happened! For fucks sake, you’re a rational person, you always think things through and plan ahead and now you’re losing your mind because of some brat?”  
“Levi, I…”  
“You what? You’re sorry?”, the omega barked, and the other man cast his eyes to the ground submissively as if the alpha was right in front of him, not two rooms away, before he started again.  
“Levi… I was just… _please_.”

Exhaling a long breath, the model let go of some of the tension, before he moved his gaze away from Erwin. “Eren is waiting at the entrance Hange. Do some sightseeing with him, I don’t care, just get him out of here.”  
He looked back at the blond man, his eyes turning soft, now that his anger was beginning to fade and the relief that his friend hadn’t gotten himself killed by his own stupidity slowly started to settle in.  
“Erwin, I think we need to talk…”

 

~~~

 

“That was pretty interesting. Why did you do that, Eren?”  
“Did what exactly?”  
He was too lost in his thoughts to properly listen to her or pay attention to the sudden tour she was giving him through the city center, after his encounter with Erwin and had been staring at the building in front of him – Notre Dame – for a good ten minutes now, while they slowly advanced in line.

“You submitted to Levi.”  
“I just listened to him. I promised him not to hurt Erwin”, mumbled the alpha in response and Hange shot him a curious glance.  
“When did that come up in your conversation? Didn’t know that was an actual risk before today.”  
“Well…” It took him a moment to think about what he wanted to tell her, considering that it seemed to be somewhat private, before he looked at her and made up his mind. “Levi smells very upset around Erwin.”  
“All the time?”, she asked in surprise.  
“No, but a lot and it’s agitating me.”  
“I see…”

They stood in silence again and Eren scanned the front of the building another time but Hange didn’t seem quite done with her train of thought and started talking again. “Still, you reacted so fast, you don’t think it could have been instinct?”  
“Yeah, maybe. I don’t know.”  
Not only didn’t he know, he also didn’t care. The only thing he could think about was ending this ridiculous tourist trip and returning to the omega, but Erwin and Levi probably needed their time to work out whatever had gotten the managers panties in a twist.

To say that the alpha felt uneasy was quite the understatement. It didn’t sit right with him to leave the small man with Erwin for reasons he couldn’t quite name. Maybe it was because Levi had usually seemed annoyed or distressed around the blond man or maybe Eren’s alpha traits kicked in and he already grew possessive of the omega, but whatever it was, it made him feel itchy.  
Sadly that didn’t change the fact that he had to respect Levi’s wishes and wouldn’t return home, before the model told him to do so.

“Come on, Eren. I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me. I need to understand you, in order to do something about whatever is going on between you two.”  
The alpha took a deep breath, when Hange pulled him from his thoughts and tried to focus on their conversation. “Sorry, I’m just not quite… My mind is elsewhere…”  
_With Levi_ , was what he didn’t say but Hange picked it up nevertheless.  
“It’s interesting, no? You only know each other for three days but you’re really attached to each other already. Other people would still consider each other strangers at this point.”

He nodded in agreement and took another step forward when the line in front of him moved again.  
“We always know how the other one feels.”  
“True, your scent changes with your mood, right?”  
He confirmed and Hange clapped her hands together in excitement. “It’s so amazing, other people have to get to know each other for years to have that much understanding of someone else’s emotions and you just know it from the start!”  
“But I don’t know _Levi_. I don’t know his favorite dish or color or where he grew up. It’s all backwards.”  
“But that’s something you can learn, no? Some people may never understand how Levi ticks, no matter if they know his favorite vacation spot or pop song.”, she encouraged him and Eren showed a shy smile.  
“You don’t need to try to hook us up, just because we’re alpha and omega, you know.”  
“Not interested?”

He felt heat rising in his cheeks, his ears probably turning red as well, before he released a nervous cough. “I know him for _three_ days Hange.”  
“Doesn’t sound like a ‘no’ to me, sweetheart. Which reminds me: Are you gay or is it the first time, that you have interest in the same sex?”  
The alpha groaned and looked around, wondering if anyone was listening to their conversation – most people here probably spoke English – but no one paid them any attention and he swallowed heavily, before he turned back to her and got it over with. “It’s the first time. And this conversation is _really_ uncomfortable for me.”  
“First time? Any idea why?”, she ignored his protest conveniently and Eren rolled his eyes, before he answered with a shrug.  
“I don’t know, I just never thought about it when I’m with him.”  
Hange adjusted her glasses and nodded in thought. “Sounds as if the fact that he is an omega comes first and the fact that he is a man comes second.”  
“Could be.”, Eren mumbled, even though her words didn’t sound very flattering in his ears, as if he got hooked on anything no matter the gender or personality, as long as it released the right type of pheromones.

“It’s not a bad thing.”, she smiled, picking up his line of thought from his somber expression. “Doesn’t really matter if you get attracted to a hot piece of ass or a certain scent, no? It’s normal that something appeals to you or excites you, be it boobs or pheromones – both is superficial at first. What matters is what you make of it.”  
Eren hummed with a small smile, instantly feeling better from her words. “I guess. Thanks, Hange. You’re pretty okay.”  
She threw her head back and laughed like a maniac, several people turning in their direction with questioning and confused looks on their faces but the physician seemed completely unfazed by the attention and gave his shoulder a strong slap, that sent him tumbling forward a few steps, before she replied in all seriousness.  
“You got that wrong alpha boy. I’m the best.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! A new chapter with a new picture (yes I did it again, sorry, not sorry :P) and finally some first fluff and skinship. It will dawn on the boys soon, that they should probably make a few decisions about where they want this to go but life and the world and other things will get in the way (would be too easy otherwise) and new trouble is already on the way - as you will find out for yourself if you read this chapter ;D I hope you will enjoy it. It's really a lot of fun to write this and I enjoy your lovely and encouraging comments so much. Also: Thanks for all the kudos, I'm crying a little about how much you support me :)

It was noon when he returned to the apartment and fought his way through the crowd of obnoxious fans and paparazzi’s in front of the door.  
Eren was probably too early – he had received a message from Levi only ten minutes ago – but since he had been close to the neighborhood, he abandoned his tour with Hange immediately to return home and look after the omega. Something inside him craved to be there and he had fought it too many hours to feel guilty about his desire to see if Levi was safe and sound.

Judging by their original time of departure, he could only guess, that the model must have missed quite a number of appointments in the morning to sort out the situation between him and Erwin and he wanted to make sure that Levi was aware of how truly sorry he felt about that.  
He was the bodyguard, if only on paper, and the sooner he returned, the sooner he could verify Levi’s wellbeing, express his remorse and get the man on the way to whatever important meetings he had for the rest of the day.

Hange had left him on his own, telling him that she needed to return to the hotel first and they agreed that he’d be safe to travel the city for a few minutes by himself, considering that his ‘ _beta deterrence_ ’ hadn’t taken effect again during the last hours.

He unlocked the entrance with a key he had received earlier and shut the door in the faces of a few overly curious people, before he strolled through the hallway and listened for any sounds of his owner.  
“Levi?”  
The dull scent of a certain beta was still noticeable in the air, but faded more and more with every step, as if Eren had just missed the blond man leaving the house and walked in the opposite direction of him.

“I’m home.”, he tried again, but didn’t receive a reply and wondered if Erwin and the omega had gone somewhere together.  
When he entered the living room, he smelt faint traces of anger, probably from their earlier discussion, and decided to venture upstairs and look for Levi in the other rooms, driven by his hope to find the small man, no matter how unlikely it was that he was even here.

It was only now, after hours of separation from the omega, that he realized how wrung out he felt without his presence, how insistent his instincts were to stay close to him and assure his safety and Eren knew, that he would have to do a whole lot of thinking on that matter. On what to do with the situation, his protectiveness and his desire to stay close to the man he barely knew.

He couldn’t deny their connection, couldn’t deny that he liked Levi, but it didn’t surprise him all that much, considering that the man was a charismatic person, a beautiful model and an omega, who triggered every last of his senses.  
That aside, he didn’t know shit about him, had spend only a handful of hours with the celebrity and it overwhelmed him how furiously his dynamic had started to push him to get back to the man as soon as he had lost sight of the model.  
That wasn’t him and at the same time it was and to reconcile these two sides of the coin seemed more difficult than it ever had in his life.

“Levi?”  
He took the last step to the second floor and looked around to identify the door that would lead to Levi’s room, before he decided to go for the most obvious option at the end of the corridor. The scent of roses and lilies became stronger and stronger, the closer he came, confirming Eren’s guess that he was aiming for the right room and he felt a nervous but happy prickling rising in his stomach, elicited by his instincts that were fooled into believing, that the omega was close, due to his overwhelming scent in the air.

“Levi, are you here?”, his hand rose to the white, wooden plane in front of him and he knocked, straining his ears to listen for any sound behind the door, before he reached for the doorknob and opened slowly with a warning word on his lips. “Uhm, I’m coming in!”

When he entered the room, his eyes wandering over the interior, he frowned, having half a mind to turn around and leave but something else, something primal rooted him in place and made him look at the scene in the same way people watched the aftermath of a car accident – unwilling to burn the gruesome pictures into their mind but unable to turn their gaze away at the same time.

What aggravated him the most, he couldn’t tell. Maybe it was the way Levi’s clothes lay haphazardly on the ground, maybe it was the windows that had been opened wide again in an attempt to air out the room, despite Levi knowing already, that Eren would still be able to smell whatever the omega was trying to hide from him or maybe it was the messy bed, the sheets crumpled and chaotic.  
Most likely it was just the scent in the air, that invaded his mind and mocked his senses.

“Eren?”  
He turned, when the small man stepped out of his bathroom, hair still wet from a shower and hidden below a towel that he used to rub the black strands dry and the alpha closed his eyes for a second, nostrils flaring and instincts screaming.  
Levi was so beautiful, so perfect and Eren would have never imagined that the soft fragrance of roses and lilies mingling with the scent of his shower gel would make his heart so heavy, that the delicious smell of slick in the sheets would make his body run cold, but no matter if Levi aired out the room or washed himself raw, he would never be able to deceive Eren’s nose and he knew that the scents that should have made his heart skip a beat were wrong, all wrong.

“That’s why he hates me.”  
“What?” The omega looked up, still drying his hair and Eren couldn’t stand it to meet his gaze, looked away, just stared at the ground and bit his lips.  
“You sleep with him.”  
With his eyes not focused on the model, he didn’t see how Levi’s brows rose, hands falling to his side, while the towel slid from his shoulders and his lips pressed into a thin line.

He had to get out of here.

Without waiting another second, he turned around, stormed through the door and heard Levi calling his name in confusion but he couldn’t stay, couldn’t stop before he reached his room and locked himself in. Not when every fiber of his body demanded to take action, to quell every last bit of beta scent from the omega, his room, the house, not when his mind had already decided that Erwin wasn’t good enough to be worn on Levi’s skin, that nobody was. Nobody but him.

“Eren, come out.”  
The model sounded impatient behind the door, but he just shook his head, not even realizing that Levi wouldn’t see the gesture and started pacing through his room, while the omega rattled on the doorknob.  
“Eren!”  
“I can’t!”

He stopped between the bathroom door and the walk-in closet, his head hitting the wall with a soft thud and he tried to calm himself, tried to tell himself to breathe in and out, tried to convince himself that it was none of his fucking business and it wasn’t, really, but his instincts didn’t give a flying fuck about his thoughts, his body rebelled against his mind and it was scary, fucking scary, to realize just how powerful and overwhelming his secondary gender was, now that the right triggers where in place.

The urge to open the door, to grab the omega and press him into his embrace – because he was still there, Eren knew he was with every last cell of his being attuned to Levi’s presence – was maddening and nothing he did and told himself seemed to ease the turmoil inside of him.  
Just what was wrong with him? Levi didn’t know Eren. Levi knew Erwin for years. Maybe Levi loved him. Erwin had a place in the omegas life, solid and established and long lasting and Eren did not but a part of him suddenly desired the model to be his, no matter how irrational it was, no matter that they were barely acquainted, no matter that he didn’t know anything about the man and would probably realize soon that their personalities and taste in music and films and food didn’t even match.  
Something inside of him _wanted_ it.

“Eren, what’s wrong…?” Levi’s voice sounded muffled from behind the door, not longer impatient but careful and his scent, seeping through below the wood was laced with concern and worry.  
The alpha walked back to the entrance, sat down in front of it and laid his hands and his cheek on the wood, allowing himself to be enveloped and calmed by the scent of the omega, fighting back the temptation that came with it.

“Levi…”  
“Yes?”, his voice was soft and so, so close, almost as if the omega mirrored his position on the other side of the door.  
“I’m scared…”  
Silence stretched for a moment and Eren heard movement from the other side, before Levi’s voice reached him again. “What’s scaring you?”

He swallowed heavily, inhaled deeply, while his right hand moved up and down over the smooth surface of the door. “What I might do to you. I’m scared of what I…”  
“What will you do to me?”, the model didn’t miss a beat and Eren closed his eyes, as if he could hide himself further, if he shut out the world from his vision.  
“I…”, he paused and the omega waited a few seconds, before he replied again.  
“Tell me.” Levi’s voice was still soft, still comforting, without impatience, without being judgmental, showing a side of the small man that probably only a few people knew of, while most of the world saw him as a harsh, grumpy, no-nonsense kind of guy.  
“I don’t _want_ to… but… I want…”, Eren didn’t even know if his incoherent mumbling made any sense to the omega.  
“Yeah?”  
“… You shouldn’t smell like him.” _You should smell like me._

“Oh Eren…”  
He opened his eyes, felt them stinging from emotions he couldn’t even place. Was this how women felt during pregnancy when hormones ran wild and nothing made sense anymore?  
Levi wasn’t his and on a certain level, Eren knew that and had no qualms with that fact because it was only normal that it took time to learn about other people, to establish trust and gain insight. Relationships, no matter the type, didn’t grow over night.  
Another part of him had a different opinion. Levi was his or at least should be. Suddenly Erwin was a nuisance, a rival and the fact that they had only met three days ago while the manager and the omega probably had an established relationship, was conveniently disregarded. He wanted to take what was his, no matter what anyone else thought about it and it frightened him.

“Open the door Eren…”  
“I… It’s really not–“  
“Open the door.”  
He gulped again, slowly getting back on his feet, before he turned the lock with shaking fingers and pulled the door open. Levi looked up to him, crouching on the ground with furrowed brows and Eren tried to hold back, tried his hardest but failed after merely two seconds and rushed forward, to pull the small man into his arms, his nose and lips buried in the crook of Levi’s neck immediately.  
Smelling the dull beta scent below the layers of roses and lilies had his mind hesitant for a moment, but his body was already acting on its own, couldn’t stop itself any longer while small arms slung around his neck, gently pressing his face closer to Levi’s skin.

“It’s crazy… It’s so crazy…”, Eren’s voice was barely a whisper in Levi’s ears, his strong arms still pressing the model closer, as if he would disappear if he didn’t hold on tight. He felt like a maniac while he rubbed his face on Levi’s throat and breathed in the scent of his wet hair but there was no resistance from the omega, only his soothing hands on his back and on his neck and the rise and fall of his slim chest against Eren’s. “I don’t even know why… I was so worried and now… I just want you so bad.”

Levi hummed, slowly leaning back after a few more seconds and searching for Eren’s eyes.  
“I felt it too.”, his small hand cupped the alphas cheek. “My omega instincts grew stronger, the longer we were separated.”  
“But why–“, he stopped himself, shook his head and hid his face on Levi’s shoulder again. It didn’t matter why Levi slept with Erwin. Not really. That a part of him craved the alpha didn’t change whatever was going on between those men and Eren wouldn’t stick his nose into other people’s business. He sighed, casting the thought aside to focus on the important part of the matter and looked up again.  
“I’m sorry Levi… I’m so sorry, but you can’t sleep with him when I’m around.”

The omega nodded slowly, didn’t challenge his words but Eren felt as if he needed to justify his insolent demand. “I know it’s rude and I really… I really don’t want to trouble you, but I can’t handle it. I will… I will freak out. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”  
Closing his eyes, he rubbed his nose on the slim column of Levi’s neck again, inhaled the sweet scent that mingled with his own now, strong and potent, not leaving a single trace of the dull beta smell behind and it was enough to endure it all. Enough to have something to focus on and ignore the fact that Levi’s whole body would keep smelling different, if Eren didn’t drown every last centimeter of his skin in his own fragrance.  
It was probably the first time he was thankful that betas didn’t smell like much and he didn’t sense the traces of Erwin, as long as he kept his nose next to Levi’s ear. If the model ever slept with another alpha while Eren was around, he’d probably rip his clothes off, unable to disregard the strong musk of his own kind and determined to layer his odor on the omegas skin until there was no doubt left who he belonged to.

“Okay.”  
Eren knew that Levi didn’t submit. He agreed. He bothered enough to give in for the alphas sake, cared enough to adjust his own life to meet Eren’s needs.  
“I can leave if it gets too much.”  
Levi shook his head, before the alpha felt the tip of his small nose on his neck, heard how the model inhaled slowly and Eren closed his eyes, relishing the realization that the omega was seeking his scent while deep contentment settled inside of him.  
“Stay.”

 

~~~

 

“This week is going to be a fucking disaster.”  
Levi set his tablet down and rubbed his temples, while Eren scoffed down his third bowl of cereals, since he had been a bit short on food today with all the shit going on that kept his mind occupied with other things than the thought of getting something to eat.

They had decided to stay in, because Eren didn’t feel stable enough to leave the house, still too shaken from the earlier events and neither Levi nor him wanted to separate a second time on the same day.  
The model had called his manager, the alpha sitting next to him with his hackles raised, and informed Erwin that he needed to cancel his evening plans without offering much of an explanation.

“Why?”, Eren asked clueless and Levi shot him a look that could only be described as _fucking annoyed_.  
“I missed a ton of interviews and other shit today, they’ll probably all try to reschedule and bombard my full calendar with more appointments, but who needs sleep anyway.”, he released an angry huff, before he continued. “And the press is already asking if I’m sick or something because I didn’t leave the house. They’re probably hoping that someone tried to murder me or some other bullshit scandal. Fucking vultures.”

The alpha nodded in understanding and sat his empty bowl down, while the model massacred his cellphone with his fingers in a way that left some doubt that he was typing a message, because it rather looked as if he was trying to stab the device.  
“If it’s going to be a tough week… Why don’t you make the most of tonight?”  
Levi looked up and grunted something that sounded suspiciously like a “ _Huh??_ ”.  
“I mean… take a bath, watch a movie… relax?”, he shrugged and the omega just stared him down for a moment as if Eren had said something incredibly stupid, before he grinned, apparently deciding to spare the alpha out of gratitude for his kind thoughts. “I’ve got enough work as it is, I can’t slack.”

“I could help?”, Eren offered and Levi shot him that blank look again but didn’t seem to dismiss the idea immediately and just kept glaring.  
“You have any idea about fashion?”  
“Not really.”  
“Lifestyle?”  
“No.”  
His brows furrowed. “You read?”  
“I… what? Eh, yeah, I guess?”

The model got up from his armchair – the one that swallowed him whole every time he sat in it – and walked to the dining table that was loaded with documents, to flip through the pages, before he pulled a single sheet of paper from the pile. “Got some weird-ass request from Cosmopolitan. They want to write about my top five books.”, the model snorted. “As if I have time to read.”

He handed the page to Eren, together with the tablet he had used before and sat down on his chair again. “Pick some books and write a sentence or two what I found moving about them. No embarrassing shit, no romance novels, no fantasy, nothing polarizing or controversial or political.”

The alpha nodded slowly. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t even know the books?”, but Levi only shrugged at his words.  
“Do you really think people care? I’m selling an image of myself. People don’t want to know me, not really. They want to see a perfect, polished version of me, not a person who barfs when he gets sick, cleans like a maniac or listens to stupid music. They would probably believe I shit glitter and flowers too, if I said so.”

Eren giggled and unlocked the screen of the tablet before he browsed through bestseller lists and reread the premises of some of the books he personally liked, wondering if they’d fit the requirements.  
Levi busied himself with his cellphone and his laptop, while the alpha added the second book to his list and thought of a witty formulation to explain why Levi apparently loved it to no ends, but he lost more and more of his focus, the longer he stared at the small man in front of him.

“So… Erwin, hm?”  
The omega looked up, one brow cocked and his face impassive, his earlier sympathy and understanding faded, now that Eren seemed to function normally again. “What about Erwin?”  
“Eh…”, he looked back down on the tablet, his eyes flying over the few lines he had typed without really reading them, while he felt heat rising in his cheeks. “You’re a couple?”

Levi’s stare was scrutinizing and Eren shrunk together, wondering what suicidal tendencies had driven him to ask such a question but the omega sighed eventually and shook his head, while he focused his eyes back to the screen of his cellphone. “No.”  
The confusion on Eren’s face must have been obvious, but the model didn’t look at him and the alpha did his best to stay calm, before his nervous scent would stink up the whole room and give him away. “But… he loves you.”

Another sigh left Levi’s lips, before he raised his head again, setting his cellphone down now, probably resigning himself to the thought that this conversation would keep going another few minutes and nodded. “Yes.”  
“And you?”  
Eren bit his lips, his whole body so tense in anticipation of Levi’s answer that he was certain that the model saw it without much difficulty, but he stayed silent for a long while, tortured the alpha with his calm gaze.  
“No.”

He nodded, nodded again and cast his eyes away, while his grip tightened around the tablet. “Why–“  
“Eren.”  
The look on Levi’s face was soft once more, understanding but serious and determined at the same time. They both knew what Eren wanted to say, wanted to know, but the situation hadn’t changed, it was none of his business who Levi fucked and why and whatever the answer would be – that he wanted to comfort his friend after their argument or that he was lonely or maybe just felt like it – it would only agitate Eren again and they both knew that too.  
“I’m sorry.”

They sighed simultaneously, and Levi waved his hand, dismissing his concerns, while Eren picked his nails, annoyed with himself, his curiosity and his apparent desire to drive himself mad.  
Possessiveness was a trait he had known but not to this extend and it was ridiculous how futile his attempts where to convince himself of the normalcy of Levi’s behavior.  
He was a grown man, who could sleep with whoever he wanted and that he didn’t reciprocate Erwin’s feelings didn’t change that fact. That he decided to enjoy himself in the arms of a trusted friend instead of a stranger who would sell every last, dirty little secret about him to the next tabloid, didn’t come as a surprise either, but it still bothered Eren to no ends.  
Not because Levi had sex without feelings or because Eren had a grudge against Erwin but because it wasn’t with _him_. That Levi had no reason to do that because they were practically strangers, didn’t seem to matter to his alpha traits.

The alpha groaned and earned himself another look from the omega. He shouldn’t have steered the conversation to this topic, because him being annoyed was the only possible outcome but his dynamic and his stupidity seemed to be a powerful combination.

“Calm down…”, he looked up and met silver orbs, staring at him with concern. “Your scent…”  
Eren swallowed and answered with a small nod, realizing that he filled the room with a mix of pheromones that did nothing besides sending a confusing message in the omegas direction.  
Anger, longing, annoyance, resignation, arousal – the air was heavy with the evidence of Eren’s conflicted emotions.

“I want you to stay here. I think it’s good for both of us.”, Levi’s deep voice was smooth, his posture composed and calm. “But I wonder if you can keep it together in front of Erwin.”  
He didn’t know what to answer, wanted to reassure the omega that he’d act in his best interest, but the events of the day made him doubt himself more than ever. Levi wouldn’t always be there and if the manager behaved aggressive or dominant in front of Eren again, he’d probably lose his shit, not to think of his own demeanor when he would see the blond man the next time, knowing what had happened between Erwin and the model.

“I don’t know…”  
“He’s my manager. I _need_ him, Eren.” The alpha flinched at the word as if Levi had hit him and raised a hand to his eyes, rubbing them almost violently, to hide his face from the omega.  
“I know. I do. I will try.”  
“We just met a few days ago, Eren.”

His gaze snapped back to Levi, who was still sitting in his chair, still looked at him with a collected expression, legs crossed, and hands folded in his lap, while his words hung in the air between them, their meaning ambiguous and crystal clear at the same time.  
Levi knew. It really didn’t take a genius to understand that something had changed for Eren today, that their separation had kicked something loose inside of him, that his confrontation with Erwin and the discovery of the physical relationship between Levi and his manager had changed his perspective towards the omega.

Three days was all it had needed for the alpha to become a victim of his own dynamic, to crave for the omega, for his scent, his touch, for everything he had to give him and Levi knew it all.  
The model didn’t say it was out of the question, didn’t reject him, didn’t send him away.  
He told him, that they had only met, that Eren was a stranger and while this particular truth felt uncomfortable and some part of the alpha seemed to think that Levi knew everything of importance about him, communicated in his scent, the omega was right.

“Yes.”  
“Give it time. You may come to hate the life I’m leading.”  
“I will, just…”, he cleared his throat. “… please don’t sleep with him again.”  
Levi didn’t wait with his answer this time, just nodded immediately, before he got up and walked to Eren, his usually intimidating expression and his blank stare gone, replaced with tender eyes and the soft swing of his hips, looking so very _omega_.  
“This is so crazy…”, the alpha whispered and Levi nodded again, while he pulled the tablet from his fingers, straddled him and leaned down, his small frame looking even tinier while it rested on Eren’s chest.

He wasn’t sure if the model just tried to cater to his wishes, until he ran one of his large hands through the dark strands of hair and Levi sighed almost inaudible, his lids fluttering, before they closed and long, dark lashes came to rest on his cheeks with a feathery touch.  
The celebrity seemed so composed at all times, didn’t lose his shit like Eren and fucked other people while he was gone, even though he had admitted earlier, that he experienced similar feelings of longing for the alpha but seeing him now, cuddled against his body, his soft fragrance and warmth enveloping them both, Eren had no doubt that the small man needed him too, craved his proximity and touch.

He bent forward, only the slightest bit and buried his nose in Levi’s hair, his arm around the omega holding him in a gentle embrace, while small hands fisted the fabric of his new designer shirt from their shopping spree on the previous day and the omega rubbed his cheek subtly on his chest.  
“I envy Erwin…”, he mumbled into the black locks, before Levi’s fingers pinched his side painfully and he jumped with a laugh on his lips, jostling the omega around for a moment, before he sat still again.  
“Okay, okay, I get it. No more talk about sex.”

“Smart brat.”, Levi grumbled, hiding his face in Eren’s broad chest but unable to conceal the pink dusting on his cheeks and the alpha grabbed his chin and turned his head gently.  
It was easier, now that he had the man in his arms, that the omega smelt like him and hadn’t dismissed Eren’s thoughts and feelings, even if they were purely driven by instinct, even if he knew that someone else had gotten what he suddenly wanted so fiercely.  
“You’re really beautiful, Levi.”  
“Thank you.”, the celebrity held his gaze a for a moment before Eren’s eyes flicked down to his small mouth, the thin, pink lips that were slightly open, Levi’s soft breath fanning over his face.

The omega smiled, when the alpha leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the model’s forehead – a display of mental strength Eren hadn’t even known he possessed – and the sight was so otherworldly in it’s beauty, that all air left his lungs in a rush. “God, just looking at you is dangerous.”  
Levi chuckled, before he shook his head slowly. “Horny alpha beats pretty omega in terms of danger, don’t you think?”

 

~~~

 

“So, who’s first?”, Hange shoved a fresh coffee into Levi’s hands, while she stormed into the apartment, before she saw Eren at the entrance of the living room, apparently remembered their encounter from yesterday, turned around and went back to the door to take her shoes off, much to the omegas delight and amusement.

“What are you talking about?”, he sniffed at the hot beverage – Caramel Macchiato, he would almost believe she was an angel, if she wouldn’t behave so damn obnoxious all the time – and glanced over the closed lid in her direction.  
“Well story time obviously.”, the second slipper ended up on the ground on top of the first one and Levi felt his brow twitch. “Because I have news and considering that you had all your afternoon appointments canceled yesterday at the last minute and forbade me to bring Erwin when I pick you up, I’m deducting you’ve got some as well? Oh! We could play rock-paper-scissors to decide who starts!”

The model rolled his eyes and turned back in the direction of his living room, coffee in hand and Hange right behind him.  
“We had a few problems yesterday.”, he started without preamble after a short glance at the clock to make sure that they had some time left before they needed to leave for his first appointment of the day.  
Eren did most of the talking in the beginning, which made sense since he had felt the repercussions of being separated from Levi more intensely, while the omega gave a little input here and there to confirm, that he hadn’t taken it too well either, but was probably too occupied with his argument with Erwin to be deeply affected.

When they reached the part of Eren’s return, the alpha’s explanation started to get patchy and he shot Levi a few sidelong glances, while he stammered through his report, apparently trying not to reveal the omegas relationship with his manager without knowing if Hange was in the picture or was allowed to know.  
It was endearing but confusing and the physician frowned more and more, the longer he spoke, because Hange seemed to realize that she missed some pieces to make sense out of Eren’s words.

“Levi...?”, she turned to him, obviously at a loss and the small man decided to put the alpha out of his misery.  
“I had sex while Eren was gone.”  
The brunet woman looked taken aback, her eyebrows rising in surprise, before she put the pieces together and her expression darkened.  
It wasn’t as if Hange had her shit-ton of degrees for nothing. She was probably smart enough to win a Nobel prize and it didn’t even take five seconds for her to make a guess who Levi had shared the bed with, considering that he didn’t really have a constant stream of visitors in his house.

“Levi… What did you do?”  
He shrugged. Hange wasn’t his fucking mom. He had told her he truth to help the brat, not to get reprimanded and he didn’t care what she thought about his physical relationships with other people.  
It didn’t need her input for him to feel bad about the situation, about blurring the lines between him and his longtime friend.

Hange sighed and shook her head but didn’t comment any further and turned back to Eren instead.  
“Well if we sum it all up that means the first time you got separated from Levi, you started to scare betas. The second time you got separated, you grew protective and worried constantly and when you found out that Levi has a physical relationship with someone else, you grew possessive and wanted to sleep with him?”

Eren’s eyes dropped to the ground while his face turned red and he nodded meekly.  
“Well I still don’t know how you managed to make the betas submit but the rest seems pretty normal to me. You have to stop evaluating these things by societies standards. We’re talking primal nature stuff here. People didn’t date for a year and started cooking dishes to impress the other, while they were fending for their lives on a daily basis. They met, they mated and when someone else came in their way, they ripped his throat out. Think about animals, your dynamic is an animalistic trait after all.”

His shoulders slumped with a sigh and Hange smiled good heartedly. “I can imagine how difficult it is when your instincts clash with your intellectual side. You’re a thinking being but you’re also driven by animalistic characteristics that are a lot more prominent in you compared to other dynamics.” Her eyes went back to Levi for a moment. “Your feelings are natural. It may seem like everything is going too fast but you shouldn’t feel bad about them but accept that it’s a part of who you are. And you’re not an animal. Your mind can rule your body, even if it is difficult and you have medicine to support you. You can decide whether to act on your instincts or not, just stop feeling like shit about them.”

“Okay…”  
“And you…”, her eyes narrowed behind her glasses while she looked at Levi. “You should stop setting him off. You’re his perfect biological match and he can’t help that his hormones are dancing the cha-cha when he’s with you, so start behaving like it and stop to trigger his alpha instincts.”  
She received a dark glare from the model, but he didn’t tell her to shut up for a change.  
“No more separations for now and no fucking others, no flirting with others, no touching other people and most of all no more Erwin.”

Eren raised his brows in surprise while Levi kept staring her down without it having any effect on the physician.  
“Everyone knows how Erwin feels about you. How long has this been going on? Do you have any idea how much you’re probably hurting him?” She shook her head. “You know what, I don’t even want to know but don’t play with him. You can’t be friends with benefits with him, while he’s serious about you, Levi.”  
“Are you done?”

Hange rolled her eyes but ceased her ranting while the gaze of the omega fell to the ground and he sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”  
Raising his head again, he looked back at her and she searched his face for sincerity, before she nodded, because Levi meant what he said. It didn’t matter that they were adults, that Erwin had assured him time and time again that he was fine with their arrangement, when Levi had felt lonely – or as of lately confused and horny – because his dynamic craved physical contact more than any other. Erwin wasn’t some hookup for him, but a friend and confidant and the omega had ignored the truth behind his managers words for too long. He didn’t want to risk their relationship just to fulfill his selfish needs.

“You said you got news?”  
“I do and not the good kind.” Hange crossed her arms in front of her chest while she leaned back. “Mikasa is coming.”  
“Mikasa?”, Eren mumbled when Levi’s face twisted into something scary.  
“Ackermann.”, supplied the physician and the alphas head swung from one side to the other, looking back and forth between Hange and the model.  
“Your…?”  
“Wife.”

His eyes went wide, his voice a little bit too shrill when he squeaked rather than spoke. “Your wife?!”  
Levi just rolled his eyes and shrugged. “Was more of a publicity stunt than a relationship. I was young, and I had bad advisors. I was barely legal when we signed the documents.”  
“Their relationship is a little strained”, Hange added but Eren just kept staring at the omega.  
“Why don't you divorce her?”  
“Money.”, Levi answered. “She’s trying though.” His head turned to Hange, annoyance still plastered all over his face. “What does she want? She blew through her allowance already? The month has just started.”

The physician shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but she was the only reason why your wishes have been granted this morning. Erwin didn’t even think about coming here, just went straight to the airport. He’s probably trying to talk her out of it and put her into the next plane back to London.”  
“Wow, that bad?”, Eren intercepted.  
“The press knows we’re separated since a while, it’s a bigger deal to see us together than her being away from me. We’ve got enough drama with the tabloids as it is.”

“Which is my best guess why she’s showing up here.”  
Levi send Hange a questioning look. “What do you mean?”  
“Haven’t read the newspapers yet?”, she opened her bag and pulled a pile of crumpled pages from it to put them on the table. “They found Eren’s name, where he comes from, stuff like that. I guess Mikasa wants to have a look at lover boy, speed the whole thing up by pointing out how unfaithful you are.”

A look on the front page was all it took for Levi to lean back in his armchair with a loud groan on his lips. “Told you Eren… This week is going to be a fucking disaster.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again. I'm thinking about turning the tag "slow build" into "snail build" by now, haha. Seriously though: I wanted to have a bit more background stuff to build up for the next chapters and I wanted to have some Levi/Eren moments too but the more I wrote, the more I felt that I need to write even more to explain the stuff I already wrote and at some point it just became longer and longer *inhale* and now I just made notes for the next chapter and decided to post this, even if it may feel a little awkward as a standalone chapter with all the sex talk and whatnot without the full context. But whatever :D  
> I also had that thing again were I reworked the chapter like ten times because I was unhappy with the flow so... here it is (I learned that forcing myself isn't going to help it, I will just get frustrated and usually it's not half as bad in real, as it is in my head. I just need to calm my tits, so I stopped reworking it and will just post it now.)  
> Long story short: Enjoy :D

Mikasa Ackermann was beautiful. Truly, incredibly beautiful and Eren couldn’t understand for the life of him, why Levi had given up on his marriage with the slim, Asian woman he was currently checking out on his cellphone.  
If he had to make a guess, he would say she was a model, which probably made sense considering that the omega had the same occupation and they must have met somewhere. Maybe during a photoshoot.

“Like what you see?” Levi’s voice was calm as usual, while he looked at him from the cars backseat next to him, but Eren still felt both, caught and scolded.  
“Eh… She is very… pretty?”  
The model narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, didn’t seem really upset but not very pleased either and the only thing that hinted at his true emotions was his scent, which – luckily – Eren was able to detect.

“Levi…”, he sighed with a smile and watched how the omegas expression scrunched up further into a frown, while Eren’s nose twitched from the faint bitterness in Levi’s scent, almost as if the roses he always smelt had suddenly grown some thorns.  
“What?”  
“There are probably less than 50.000 people in the world who could even try to compete with you.”, he pointed out, reminding the small man just how fucking scarce omegas were these days. “She’s beautiful, but she’s got nothing on you. You are _made_ for someone like me.”

The model rolled his eyes, muttered something along the lines of ‘ _Why would I care_ ’ but Eren didn’t miss the flush on his cheeks and chuckled.  
He had been a bit rattled during their conversation with Hange, when the physician was introduced to the fact that Levi had fucked his manager and she had pried into Eren’s new found attraction to the celebrity, but his initial embarrassment had quickly dissolved and made room in his mind for her words to settle in.

Ultimately, she was right. He wasn’t going as far as saying that he was embracing the situation with him being an alpha and Levi being an omega and that he expected for things to run their course, but it was true, that his behavior was normal. He had felt so utterly ridiculous when his instincts had started to spike and he became possessive and protective of the small man after such a short time but at the end of the day, it was natural and while she was right when she said that he didn’t have to act on his animalistic desires, she was also right when she had pointed out that there was no use in denying them either.

Levi was an omega. It wouldn’t have mattered if they had met in a fleeting moment, but their situation was different. They had spent a few days together and his alpha traits had made themselves known in response and now Eren viewed him differently. Or rather a part of him did.  
A part of him considered him to be an acceptable mate and while that didn’t mean that he was going to jump the man on the next best occasion and ignore that he barely knew him, it didn’t change that his body reacted accordingly.

He figured that the best way to handle it was, to be honest about it. To share with Levi and to stop being shy and horrified about something he couldn’t change and telling Levi that he was a perfectly beautiful, heavenly smelling omega that hardly needed to fear any competition was part of that.  
Levi was smart and successful and beautiful and charismatic. All of that was attractive but besides that, he wasn’t a dull beta and played in a completely different league from everyone else, when it came to alphas like Eren.

“She’s not as beautiful as you.”, he added and received a snort from Levi in reply, but the model didn’t fight his words any further and it left the alpha with a grin on his lips, before he looked back at his phone.  
“But honestly, she’s still a good catch. Why did you split? She’s got a nasty personality or something?”  
Levi’s short, perfectly manicured fingernails tapped against his knee for a few seconds before he shrugged. “It just didn’t work.”

Eren hummed in response and turned to the window on his right, before he realized that Levi was still talking, low and careful now, almost as if he didn’t want the alpha to hear him.  
“I needed… something else. She changed a lot when we broke up, became very difficult.”  
“What do you mean? What did you need?”, he barely bit back to ask if it was a dick up his ass, considering Levi’s dynamic but Eren had enough sense left in his body, not to drop a stupid comment in front of the man who had been nothing but understanding with him, especially not when he seemed to be in a vulnerable moment.  
That didn’t mean that he managed to suppress the sly smirk on his lips, that vanished immediately when Levi looked up for a second, his scent growing heavy with guilt and shame and embarrassment, and Eren understood instantly that he hadn’t been so far off the mark.

“Oh…”  
His hand reached out to the omega and grabbed the fingers of his right hand carefully, while Levi let go of his bottom lip, that he had started to chew a few seconds ago.  
It hadn’t really crossed his mind so far, how a male omega would fare in a heterosexual relationship these days. If he went through the whole stereotype book, Levi probably needed to be protected, dominated, … Eren closed his eyes and swallowed… _Penetrated_?  
That the model had engaged in such a close relationship with Erwin became less and less surprising by the hour. The manager was a beta as well, but he was relatively strong, tall and composed. Attributes that could help to put Levi’s instincts to rest.

When it came to this kind of stuff, Eren certainly had it easier. He didn’t consider himself attracted to men – with the only known male omega in the world being the single exception as of now – and women were usually smaller than him, weaker, devoted if you picked the right one. Characteristics that complimented his alpha traits and didn’t set him off. Besides, without the pheromones, his traits were pending at an acceptable level that didn’t scare beta women away. Never before did he have such a sudden obsession over someone, as it was the case with Levi.

Alphas where male, omegas where female. If they engaged in relationships with betas, the alphas could still dominate their beta wife and the omegas could still submit to their beta husbands. Even if they had homosexual relationships, it was probably working, with one of the two women being more submissive or one of the two men being more dominant.  
Levi… well… Levi would have difficulties in that department and Eren wondered if a beta woman could ever sate the omegas senses enough, no matter if she was dominant and expressive. Male betas at least had the advantage of height, build and ‘equipment’. The rest was a matter of personality.  
It also made him wonder how alpha women had looked in the past and he filed that thought away to find historical pictures of them later.

“That wasn’t very tactful.”, he apologized and squeezed the small hand he was holding.  
“It wasn’t.”, the omega agreed and Eren cleared his throat, worried that he had truly upset the model, before he noticed that the scent in the air had shifted yet again and the sour notes began to fade.  
“Does she know?”  
Levi shrugged, while his fingers curled around Eren’s and the alpha felt his newfound confidence waver even more, his ears already turning red from the affectionate gesture.  
“We never talked about it, but I’m pretty sure she does. We lived together after all.”  
His face must have shown his worry, because the omega squeezed his hand in return now, with a reassuring smile. “I don’t think she has proof and it wouldn’t do her good to stir up trouble as long as we’re not divorced. My money is her money. A scandal is only going to hurt her own finances at the end of the day.”

Eren answered with a nod. He was pretty certain that some people didn’t give a shit about money, when they were pissed at someone, but he didn’t really know their story, hadn’t met the woman either and life was not a soap opera – even if it certainly seemed like that to him since a few days.  
Levi knew best how to deal with his wife, he had done that just fine without him before and maybe “difficult” just meant that she was annoying the shit out of the small man, much like Hange. Of course Eren was going to keep a close eye on her, no matter what.

 

~~~

 

The first few hours of their morning went just fine. Levi had an interview with some magazine and wanted to attend a few shows after lunch and while Eren started to get really tired of the questions that were constantly thrown his way on the street, the omega himself handled it like a champ.  
Not even the small woman that questioned him in a modest hotel room while people buzzed around him to set up lights for a few accompanying photos, managed to get him out of his calm stupor and Eren didn’t just think that because Levi’s expression never changed. He smelt it.

When she brought up the elephant in the room – Eren might not have a trunk but he was pretty much standing next to Levi at all times – he smiled with nonchalance and declared that their relationship was strictly professional, without giving any real insight about what exactly Eren was doing.  
The alpha didn’t question it. He was a bodyguard on paper, but he was aware that he didn’t know the first thing about personal security and probably didn’t behave much like a life guard. Feeding the people as little information as possible was probably for the best.

Erwin didn’t seem to be successful in his own endeavor. He didn’t show up but sent a constant stream of messages to Levi’s phone and the omega updated Eren diligently, as if he was worried, that the alpha would snap from jealousy.  
Which he probably would if he was honest with himself, and it felt horrible to be treated like a control freak who hovered over Levi at his every move, but the memories of Erwin’s scent on Levi’s skin were still fresh and he was nothing but grateful, that the model handled the situation with care.

Apparently Mikasa hadn’t been convinced to leave the city and go back home but checked herself in at a fancy hotel. Levi explained that she wouldn’t think of staying in the same house with him – mostly because he didn’t want her there and would kick her out, no matter how bad it looked to the press and she would never risk to face the public humiliation. From what he understood, Mikasa was a proud woman. She wouldn’t wait forever, but she wouldn’t force herself into Levi’s tight schedule or his home either if she could help it and Eren thought that things couldn’t be that bad, if she had that much respect left for her husband and his work.

When they left the hotel to grab lunch, he was positively surprised how well the day was going. He had been afraid to be touchy and snap at people around the model but so far things had been good and the continuous flow of calming omega pheromones in the air did its job to keep him docile.  
Sadly it didn’t even take an hour, for him to realize that he had gotten his hopes up too soon.

“I need a tea.”, Levi handed a signed autograph to a giggling girl and Eren looked over the crowd.  
“The real deal? If anything goes, we can go to Starbucks. Might be faster.”  
The model nodded while the alpha lifted a brow at a small woman who was in the process of reaching out to touch the omega and flinched back, as soon as she noticed his stare.  
Eren wasn’t a trained bodyguard but his immense height seemed to be intimidating enough to keep most people at bay. Overall, he felt that the situation had changed around them, without really knowing why. While paparazzi’s and fans had tried to get a feel of the small man on the day they had moved to Levi’s apartment, almost all of them kept distance to him now and scurried away as soon as Eren directed his focus on them.  
Maybe his strangely intense dominance over betas from a few days ago was starting to kick in again, triggered by the events of the previous afternoon and he should let Hange know about it.  
Be it as it may, it was helpful.

He pressed a large hand in the tiny space that was the small of Levi’s back and maneuvered him through the people with a gentle push. His nose picked up the traces of the omegas relaxed and content mood and Eren felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips, while they moved down the street.  
It had already become second nature to him to confirm Levi’s wellbeing at all times, to take the fragrance of roses and lilies in whenever he touched the small man or spoke to him and while the cloud of people that hovered around the model at all times would have driven him mad from the beta stink a few days ago, he barely noticed them now.  
His senses were enthralled by the omega and his beautiful scent overshadowed everything else that was trying to make its way into Eren’s nostrils.

The models fragrance finally shifted, when they left the coffee shop with a black iced tea in hand and Levi typing away at his cellphone, and only then did he grasp how profound Levi’s influence on him had been during the previous hours.  
Eren didn’t see it coming, because the tabloid reporter wasn’t getting too close, wasn’t asking the same stupid questions about him and their relationship, nor did he lift a camera straight into the models face to flash a few pictures but seemed actually rather polite when he raised his little recorder in Levi’s direction.  
“Mr. Ackermann? Sir, we haven’t seen much of your manager lately. Will Mr. Smith continue working with you in the future?”

That they stood on the open street was good, because it helped to diffuse Levi’s scent, but it wasn’t anywhere near enough for Eren not to pick up the distress, guilt and worry that rose in the model’s fragrance immediately at the mentioning of Erwin’s name and began to coat the alphas tongue with bitterness.  
Eren remembered the very same scent from the hotel room, when he had left Levi and Erwin for their private conversation before they relocated to the omegas apartment in the city.  
He would probably never know what exactly had happened that evening to cause these kinds of emotions, but he got the idea that it hadn’t taken Hange’s reprimanding words on the previous day, for Levi to feel guilty about his tête-à tête with Erwin. It had been a long time coming and somewhere inside, the model seemed to be truly miserable about the state of his relationship with his manager. A feeling that made itself known to Eren, invaded his mind clear and sudden and stirred something sharp and painful in his chest, as soon as the omegas destress hit him fully.

He moved without thinking.

The shriek that left the man’s lips had him realize, that he had pushed himself in front of the omega, apparently so intimidating and sudden, that the reporter had stumbled backwards and fell on his butt.  
The recorder lay on the ground between them, fallen from the mans hands, that were raised in front of his face now in a protecting gesture to cover his head and the crowd around them had turned quiet – in surprise or shock, he couldn’t tell – with silence engulfing them now, save for a single sound that permeated the air.

It was him, he realized.  
He felt the vibration of his chest and the tight clenching of his jaws, but he couldn’t stop the snarl, the deep growl that was crawling up his throat and had people stiff and wide eyed like the sudden sound of rolling thunder, before the first of them came into motion, crouching and locking their gaze with the ground, their heads tilting and necks being exposed.

“Eren.”  
Levi’s voice was soft, his small hand in Eren’s back tender and the alpha stilled as soon as he felt the model’s fingertips on his shoulders. The omega didn’t flinch when he turned around but didn’t look at him either and kept his eyes glued on his own feet.  
“Levi.” The growl had left his vocal cords rough and the model looked up, when he cleared his throat with a cough, but didn’t say a word, just stared at him until Eren started to get worried, couldn’t take it any longer to hold back from touching the small man and lifted a hand to Levi’s cheek. “Are you alright?”

Still not receiving any kind of response, the omegas gape began to feel unsettling after a few long seconds and the alpha felt the first tingle of fear crawl up inside of him, not understanding why the model was frozen in place.  
“Levi?”  
Eren was about to shake the small man who seemed to be sleeping with his eyes open and it was only when he grabbed the model by his shoulders, that he finally realized, his nostrils flaring, saliva pouring into his mouth and his hold on Levi’s small frame growing tighter on its own accord.  
_Arousal_.

“Fuck!”  
He grabbed Levi’s hand hastily and pulled him away from the people, dragged him a few meters down the street until he felt the omegas grip growing tighter on his fingers, finally shaken from his daze, while Eren already felt himself enter some sort of delirium.  
“No, no, no!”  
It was going fast, way too fucking fast. The sudden outburst of scent was starting to drive him mad. Could he even take a taxi, or would he just punch the driver as soon as he looked at Levi in the rear mirror?  
“Levi you need to calm down!”

He shrugged his jacket off, wrapped the omega in it without stopping his fast strides, to block other people’s view on the model and lessen the scent that emanated from him, much to Levi’s annoyance.  
“What? What are you doing?”  
“Your scent! I’m about to commit homicide here! Fuck!”  
He looked back to make sure that nobody followed them before he pulled the model into a small alley, torn between thinking that he should get a good amount of distance between them and the deep desire to get hell of a lot closer to the omega.

Levi had stopped fighting his new ‘outfit’ under Eren’s constant profanities and pulled the fabric tight around his body, while the alpha began to pace up and down in front of him.  
“I’m sorry, Eren.”  
“It’s… It’s fine.”, he ran a shaking hand through his hair, not stopping his hasty movements yet. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have snapped. Just…”, the panic in his voice was increasing with every word. “… reign it in? Your scent. Shit. Please just…”  
Walking a few steps away from the cloud of Levi’s fragrance, he felt himself drawn in the opposite direction immediately and turned, only to go back and feel another onslaught of scent that made him break out in sweat. The up and down in front of the model didn’t do shit, only made him want more, every time he turned around and saw the small man leaning on the wall, with his eyes too wide and his lips slightly parted and his body smelling like fucking heaven.  
The alpha pressed a deep breath from his lungs and stopped with another “Fuck!” falling from his mouth, before Levi felt himself lifted a good bit above the ground in a sudden rush of movement and Eren’s lips smashed into his.

The omega moaned and the alpha realized his mistake immediately when the model’s small mouth opened further for him, Levi’s arousal flaring up in his scent with new vigor and every rational thought left the building.  
His tiny hands clawed on Eren’s shoulders, uncaring that the man pressed him against the dirty wall as if he was about to fuck him right then and there, with his giant jacket draped over Levi’s head and Eren groaned while he felt the touch of Levi’s soft mouth and tasted the small tongue that held traces of the few sips of black tea that the man had managed to drink before the beverage was knocked from his fingers.

 _Shit_.  
Eren tried to break away from the wall, only to find himself pressing closer to the model, his own arousal palpable in his pants now while their fragrances mingled in the air with alluring promises.  
He shouldn’t. He couldn’t.  
It was the first time that Levi had lost hold of his dynamic and while Eren’s head had obviously no say in the matter, he could feel his own instincts fighting.  
He wasn’t here to mount Levi, he was here to _protect_ him.

The sounds that spilled from the omega during their kisses were sinful and he couldn’t stop himself from rutting against the small man, still holding him in a grip that he realized must be bruising but Levi didn’t seem to care, didn’t even seem to realize what he was doing or where they were and Eren seized the small moment of clarity he gained from that thought and stumbled backwards, the omega tumbling to the ground and he blurted the first thing that came to his mind to dissolve the sexual tension between them.  
“Erwin!”

Levi – in the process of getting up, with a hungry gaze directed at the alpha – stilled, his eyes narrowed and when Eren stuttered “W-what about Erwin?!”, his scent turned.  
A moment of silence passed, then another, while the omega stared at him, his cheeks still rosy but his eyes already turning back to silvery steel, until Levi huffed and turned his head away. “Rude…”  
The small man took a deep breath before he got up and patted the dirt from his pants without even looking at him, while the alpha tried to breath through the remnants of sweet arousal that lingered around them, slowly being swallowed by the sour odor that Levi’s scent was now and when the model raised his head again, all traces of the pliant omega from a few seconds ago were gone, hidden behind Levi’s usual blank expression.  
It was as if Eren had flipped a switch.

The alpha slumped down on the wall behind him and buried his face in his hands, breathing hard and labored before he heard steps closing in on him and Levi’s hand ruffled through his hair.  
“Well wasn’t that exciting, hm?”  
“I’m so sorry…”  
“Takes two, kid.”  
“Still, I shouldn’t have kissed you!”, he looked up while he raised his voice in exasperation but the omega just shrugged.  
“I shouldn’t get turned on when you threaten strangers because of me.”  
Eren rolled his eyes and shook his head. “But I shouldn’t freak out just because you smell unhappy!”  
“And I should control myself better than to get moody just because someone mentions his name.”

He stared into Levi’s grey eyes for a few seconds, before he noticed the smirk on his lips and couldn’t stop himself from grinning as well. “We’re such a freak show.”  
The omega patted his head again, while his scent settled completely and Eren let himself breathe once more to clear his head fully, before he continued. “I didn’t realize it. It was you.”  
“I was what?”  
“Today, everything went well. I thought I had calmed down, but it was you. You calmed me until you weren’t calm yourself.”  
“Huh. Got to be careful then.”  
He leaned back until his head hit the wall and closed his eyes. “We really need to figure this out. I keep you from working and I’m starting to...” He shook his head with a resigned huff. “I’ll go mad if things continue like this, Levi.”

 

~~~

 

_“So, we can say with certainty, that Levi Ackermann’s latest addition to the staff is indeed an alpha?”_

_“Yes, the display of dominance is absolutely impressive. We rarely see such a strong drive for submission in betas these days.”_

Eren groaned, while the so-called expert of the talk show went on to pick his outburst in front of the coffee shop apart, finding it ‘astonishing’ and ‘fascinating’, before the host focused on another woman at the table.

_“Sally, you’re a high society expert. In your opinion, why is Ackermann hiring someone who carries such a high-risk potential?”_

_“It’s an interesting decision, but certainly not a surprising one. Levi is known to support charity causes that fight against secondary gender discrimination and has been involved in a lot of secondary gender movements. He has been using his massive influence to push alpha and omega equality since a long time.”_

It was Levi’s turn to groan, before he reduced the volume as the blurry video clip of Eren’s earlier freak out – it must have been recorded with a cellphone from one of the fans around them – was shown during the questionable analysis for the millionth time.  
It wasn’t the first lifestyle show they watched today, that spread the news about his little mishap, after their return to Levi’s home.  
Luckily the press didn’t know the full story. They had saved that part for Hange who showed genuine excitement about their ‘scent chain reaction’ and asked for way too many details about their little make out session.

“Whatever you’re doing, you need to speed it up.” The omega sat the remote control down on the coffee table in front of him, before he took his tea cup. “We’re getting too dependent on each other and I’m not buddha. I can’t change that things piss me off sometimes and I can’t mask my scent from Eren. He’s going to go nuts at some point.”

Hange nodded with a pitiful, contemplating expression but shrugged soon after. “Modern medicine isn’t that fast Levi, I can’t work miracles.”  
“Then what are we supposed to do? He freaks out when we’re separated, and he freaks out when we’re together.”, he glanced at the alpha who stared at the ground with a sheepish look, instantly feeling sorry about his words which was _so_ unlike himself. “And I’m losing my grip too.”  
Eren looked up and Levi felt how the tightness in his chest dissolved a little, when the young man’s scent shifted. There was no denying that the alpha felt miserable about causing so much trouble, but he could sense the relief in his fragrance, as soon as Levi had established that he didn’t blame it all on the alpha and dealt with similar problems.

“You could try to fuck.”  
Eren turned bright red in milliseconds and Levi rolled his eyes. “How is that solving anything shitty glasses?”  
She raised her hands defensively. “Your bodies want to mate. You’re reacting to Eren because your dynamic wants him and he’s becoming aggressive because his instincts tell him to keep potential rivals and enemies away until he had you.”

It was the alphas turn to shake his head now and both of them raised a brow in surprise when he spoke. “No. I’m pretty sure I’d get even more protective if I slept with him.”  
Lifting his head, his face flared up in crimson colors again and he raised his hands in the very same gesture that Hange had used a few seconds ago. “N-not that I intended to anyways.” His eyes went wide at his own words. “I-I mean n-not that I wouldn’t want to!”  
His mouth snapped shut and he groaned in horror, while Hange burst out laughing and Levi shot her a sharp look, feeling somewhat sorry for the tall man.  
“Maybe you have an idea that doesn’t involve fucking?”  
“Bonding?”  
“Hange!”  
“Fine, fine!”

She opened her giant bag with hesitation and pulled a smaller pouch from it. “I think this is a bad idea, but... I worked on your suppressants. I’m not done, it’s just a first sample. It’s not going to kill you, but you might seriously feel like shit. Don’t know if that’s what you want during fashion week.”  
“At this rate I’m not participating anyways. I haven’t seen a single show since we arrived.”  
His physician nodded, while she opened the pouch and removed some cooling packs. “Store them in the fridge. As I said, I can’t work miracles. I didn’t have much time and they’re lacking a lot of stabilizers and other stuff.”

Eren frowned while he watched their exchange. When had she even managed to produce them?  
“I only got a few hours in the lab this morning, so I basically just tinkered with a few of your existing suppressants, shouldn’t get out of control. Hopefully.”, she murmured as if reading his mind and Levi took the little bag with the new injections from her.  
“And what’s the expected outcome?”  
“Well, if they work, they will dull your pheromones among other things. He won’t smell you, or at least not in the same way.”

“No!” Both heads turned to him and only then did he realize that he had jumped on his feet. The physician looked surprised, while Levi’s face softened from immediate understanding and he sat the bag down with a sigh.  
“He’s right… As long as the effectiveness of his own suppressants keeps dropping, it’s only going to make things worse if I dull my pheromones.”  
Hange turned to him, her expression quizzical before she snapped out of it and nodded. “Yeah, right. His suppressants. I’m working on that.”  
Levi glared at her but didn’t comment on it, vividly remembering their initial conversation. Hange hadn’t suggested to keep Eren around purely for the sake of the alpha, she wanted to keep him around to ease the side effects of Levi’s suppressants until she had a better cocktail ready for the model.

Well things had changed. He was single handedly turning the young man into a ticking timebomb with both of them being unable to separate from the other one and it was time that Hange used all those fucking blood samples from Eren to start mixing some medicine, instead of exploring the depth of alpha biology. Just staying near Eren until she was done with the omega suppressants was obviously not enough anymore to keep the tall man tamed.

“You’re still using your suppressants?”  
Eren answered with a nod and Hange took her phone in hand to make a few notes. “How much is left?”  
“Maybe three weeks?”  
“Okay, I’ll get you a new batch ready first before…”, she looked at Levi and he gave her a stern look. “… I continue to work on something new for you.”

 

~~~

 

“You realize our dilemma, right?”  
Eren looked up when Levi returned from the door after sending Hange on her way. He closed the laptop he had been using to finish the booklist from the previous day and shook his head. “What do you mean?”

Levi sunk into his giant, fluffy armchair with a sigh and crossed his legs. “Even if the lunatic actually manages to come up with working suppressants, we won’t know if they truly work until we separate.”  
The alpha tensed immediately from the mere thought of splitting from the small man and sat up straight, before the full meaning of Levi’s words hit him. “What if we separate and they don’t work?”  
“I guess that might cause some fucking big problems, brat.”

He swallowed thickly, his posture slumping down again. “Then… what are we going to do?”  
He felt Levi’s silent stare for a moment and his eyes widened. “You… You want me to leave?”  
A heavy sigh on his lips, the omega shook his head. “No, Eren. I don’t _want_ you to leave but things seem to get worse, the longer we stay together. We couldn’t foresee it to turn out like this.”  
“I…”, he looked back down at his lap, where his hands clasped around the closed laptop and his throat tightened when Levi’s words sunk in, leaving his chest with a heavy feeling.

Todays events must have revealed the severity of the situation to the omega, had probably even scared him to some extent. Why else would the model suddenly talk about his departure, even though they had grown closer during the last days and started to gain some real understanding about the symbiosis of their dynamics?  
Levi even had agreed not to try the new suppressants from Hange, to avoid meddling with his senses but it probably had only served further to make him understand how fickle the alpha had become during the last days. It shouldn’t surprise him that the model wanted him gone but now that he brought it up completely unexpected from one second to the other, the alpha felt as if someone had punched him in the gut.

“Eren.”  
Levi pulled him from the devastating thoughts that unfolded inside of him by calling his name and the first thing Eren realized was, how teary his eyes felt, followed by noticing, that the small man had gotten up and walked the short distance between their seats to stand in front of him.  
“Hey…” The model touched his cheek with cool fingers, probably feeling the slightest bit of stubble that had grown since his morning shave. “Calm down. I didn’t tell you to go.”  
Lifting the laptop to put it aside, Levi slid into his lap and Eren let out a shaky breath of relief before he closed his arms around the small man. The celebrity was so blunt and sharp when he talked, but it wasn’t the first time that he became soft and fragile for him, turned into the very image of his gender in Eren’s arms, right when the alpha needed the omega to calm his senses.

“You’re welcome here Eren.”, the gentle press of Levi’s nose on his neck caused a shiver to run over his skin. “But you should think about it now. You might be in it for a while if you stay. It could be months, it’s a huge commitment.”  
“What about you?”, the alpha whispered into Levi’s hair. “You’re not as affected as me but right now you can’t even work properly. Don’t you want me gone?”  
He felt the omega gently shaking his head. “You’re here because of me. I won’t send you away, now that things get a little difficult.”

When Levi pulled back to look at him, he felt the loss of his warmth against his chest immediately, had to hold back from pulling the model back into his embrace. “I travel a lot. I’m always swarmed by people and I dislike most of them. I have an ex-wife with a shitty attitude and my manager hates you. And then there’s _Hange_.”  
The omega ruffled his chaotic mob of hair with a smirk on his lips. “So, think about it properly.”

Eren hummed before silence settled between them and he thought about his own commitments, his family, university, his friends. A part of him didn’t give a shit and would probably trade the whole world to stay by Levi’s side, but the small man was right when he pointed out that he should consider it seriously. Who was to say what would happen a year or two from now. Maybe he didn’t even know Levi anymore by then and Eren might regret it deeply to throw so much away for their short time together.  
On top of that, he had to be honest with himself. He was the best natural line of defense for an omega like Levi but posed great risk for him at the same time. Both of them influenced each other immensely and it had become obvious today, that holding back was a fucking mammoth task in certain situations.

“I have a question…”  
“Ask.”, Levi murmured, while he settled his head back on Eren’s chest, right below his chin.  
“Are you…”  
_Awkward question_. Pretty important too though.  
Eren bit his bottom lip while he tried to figure out a way to phrase it politely. “…well … the real deal?”  
He had probably failed. Failed with cherries on top.

“I’m not sure where this is going Eren.”, Levi answered half confused, half amused and the alpha felt heat rising in his face.  
“Omega.”, he blurted out, groaning in the next second and lifting one hand to slap it onto his face. “Fuck, no. What I mean is… You know… You’ve got all the omega stuff going on?”  
Eren felt stupid and the model didn’t make it better by raising his head again and lifting an eyebrow. “Are you asking me if I’m fertile?”  
“Eh…”, he gaped at the man, before he shook his head. “No! Geez, no. I mean, eh, are you?”  
Levi snorted and the red tinge on Eren’s cheeks darkened further. “Yeah.”

That really wasn’t what the young man had actually meant to ask, but Levi’s words left him staring at him in awe. “Wow…”  
“Is that some alpha breeding kink thing?”  
“Huh? No. I guess. Not that I tried. Breeding. Omegas. You know…”, he felt himself close to stuttering and the man lifted a single eyebrow yet again, his voice a little impatient already. “Eren…”

He did the first best thing he could think of, which was tugging Levi back to his chest rather forcefully to make the man stop staring at him, before he cleared his throat and finally managed to man up to ask his question. Or at least name the topic properly.  
“Heats.”  
“What about them?” Levi wriggled a little in his arms, probably uncomfortable with his position but not complaining either. Maybe because the omega had some mercy with him, considering that he made a complete fool out of himself and was stinking up the room with his embarrassment.  
“You…?”, words seemed to have forsaken him at this point.  
“Yes, I go into heat.”  
“Huh.”

Eren didn’t really know what to say to that. What he did know was that heats came two to four times a year – probably, he wasn’t the brightest head back in biology class when it came to the submissive gender and remembered even less now than he had learned at the time. Still, a few months of staying together could very well mean that he had to face Levi being hit by his cycle.  
“Scared?”, he heard the omega and nodded.  
“Fucking terrified.”  
“I take suppressants.”  
Blushing a little over his own stupidity he nodded. “Ah, true…”

He carefully stroked through the soft black strands and sighed in delight when he felt their silky texture on his fingers. “What’s it like?”  
Levi seemed to contemplate for a moment, before he answered. “Sticky.”  
Eren huffed and rolled his eyes but the omega didn’t seem to be willing to elaborate further and switched the focus of the conversation to him. “What’s a rut like?”  
“I wouldn’t know.”

Turning his head up, Levi looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”  
“Well… Takes omega pheromones to trigger a rut, I never had one.”, he buried his nose in Levi’s hair and inhaled. “Except in the airport but they kept me knocked out.”  
“Knocked out?”  
“Sedated.”  
“What?”, Levi started to move now, struggling away from Eren’s tight embrace to sit up on his lap and look at him properly. “Why would they do that?”  
The alpha laughed, holding the omega loosely with his arms around his waist. “It’s dangerous. That’s why we must stay on suppressants. Subdues the alpha traits and keeps ruts from happening.” He grinned at Levi. “Well, usually. But I got another shot at the airport and have been okay since. Even if my suppressants seem to fail me more and more lately, judging by today.”

The model frowned, staring at him in deep thought for a moment. “You _must_ stay on suppressants?”  
“It’s the law. Alphas have to get registered as soon as they present. I thought you are involved in alpha movements?”  
“I never knew…” Levi seemed deeply bothered by the new information and looked away, shaking his head at the same time. “They’re keeping tabs on members of a minority and dictate them how to live and to drug themselves. Shouldn’t that piss you off? Doesn’t that remind you of something?”  
Eren rolled his eyes. Of course it did. He was fucking German. “Stop the Nazi analogies Levi. It sucks but I get why it’s done.”  
The declaration didn’t seem to please the model and his glare only darkened when Eren gently pushed a strand of black hair behind his right ear. “Look… I’ve never really experienced the full extent of it myself, but you only need to watch the news to understand it. Remember that Icelander who rampaged through a hospital a week ago?”  
Levi answered with a nod.  
“He was on suppressants.” Eren knew that for a fact, because the man would have never been covered by the Lisbon protocols and released from custody if he didn’t take them. “But they aren’t failsafe. He flipped and hurt two dozen people. I’d love for things to be different, but I can’t change that I’m posing a real danger to others and it’s not even a conscious decision when push comes to shove.”

The model nodded again, remembering their encounter with the reporter on the street. Eren had only growled at him but he could have reacted a lot more violent as well if his instincts would have told him to do so, because he was in the clutches of Levi’s pheromones. “There’s no better way?”  
The tall man shrugged. “Apparently alphas can handle alphas. Not enough of us around though.”  
A sad smile adorned his lips when he cupped Levi’s cheek with his huge hand, making the models small head look even tinier. “I was lucky that your pheromones were too much for me in the airport and I fainted. I think it would take a bullet to stop me if I went into rut. I’m not so eager to find out.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I welcome you back to a new chapter. It took me a little longer this time because I sort of binge watched Avatar again and then I was reading too many Aang fanfics and then I had an idea for a AoT one-shot in the Avatar universe and started to write it because I had to get it out of my system (no, not ready yet but I think Levi would be a pretty cool fire bender, so I just did that :D)
> 
> I present you a tiny bit of fluff, a very annoyed Erwin, Levi loosing his patience with the manager, Mikasa being a bitch and Levi calling dibs on Eren.  
> Also: I did even less proof reading than usual and changed a lot of stuff in the last minute so lets pray together, that this didn't turn out to be a huge pile of mumbo jumbo.  
> Thanks for reading, the kudos, the lovely comments and feel free to share your opinion with me! Lots of love <3

The small lamp on the bedside table was still shedding warm light over the room, even though it was late, and they had gone to sleep hours ago. They had shared plenty of reasons to go to the same bed, elaborate and well thought through and utter bullshit at the same time, because the simple truth was, that Eren just wanted to stay next to Levi and he knew that the omega felt the same. There was no reason to play coy and walk into their separate bedrooms after their little tongue wrestling during the day.

He rubbed his tired eyes and looked at the small body next to him, that rose and fell with every calm breath. It was probably the third time he had woken up this night and he asked himself if it was the fragrance of the omega, filling the air strong and beautiful, that kept pulling him from his sleep but it seemed more likely that it was his own head, his own thoughts that did all the damage to his well deserved rest. He had cured Levi’s insomnia, but his own sleep had turned to shit.

A lot of things had actually, like his optimistic acceptance from the morning. The conversation with Hange about his dynamic had eased the guilty feelings about his overbearing antics and left him positive that his waking instincts were a natural process he could handle and shouldn’t be ashamed of.  
Twenty hours later, nothing but worry was left. He had fooled himself to believe that he could be in control, as long as he stayed calm and collected, only to find out that it didn’t take more than one whiff of distressed omega scent for him to lose himself.  
Levi’s handle on both, his emotional and physical state, was far greater than he had expected – scary as shit to be frank – and he thanked his lucky stars, that he didn’t have a more intense reaction in front of the reporter.

The bundle on the other side of the bed stirred and Eren heaved a silent sigh. The pressure on the model must be immense and saying that the alpha inconvenienced Levi, was putting it lightly. Not only had he successfully kept the small man from working – aside from the photoshoot with Petra and the interview this morning – but also caused nothing but problems for him. Two nights ago, he had hurt Levi, he turned into a constant PR disaster and now the omega basically had to babysit him and probably felt responsible for Eren’s actions.  
Still, Levi didn’t want him to leave.

The thought warmed his heart, but it wasn’t surprising either. If Levi felt at least a little bit like Eren, the idea of separation was out of the question.  
Four days, he reminded himself. Four days and they were already joined at the hip, tied together by an invisible string that left Eren unable to imagine life without the small man next to him.  
Four days, started by an accidental meeting in an airport bathroom filled with the scent of roses and lilies that penetrated his every thought and caused his senses to gradually increase and attune to the omega with the speed of light.

It had felt special, when he had realized a mere day after their first meeting, that he was already picking up the subtle differences in Levi’s fragrance and they were able to communicate with their scents and understand what the other one felt behind their exterior. Soon enough he had grown protective of the omega, couldn’t handle it when his fans touched him and didn’t want to leave him alone and when Levi’s relationship to his manager had made itself known to Eren, he had become possessive.  
And now? Now he started to react to the omegas every emotion by pure instinct, before he even realized what he was doing.

His dynamic was on a mission, pulled him insistently towards the celebrity, while his thoughts were all over the place by now. If only his heart would be as decisive and quick as his body.  
Levi was interesting in so many aspects, successful and wealthy, hard working and kind. But he was still a stranger at the same time. Eren knew that he was a bit grouchy at times, had a rash mouth, especially when it came to his physician but easily accepted others and made the effort to put himself in other people’s position to understand them. On the other hand, he still had no idea about the person he was. All he had gathered was, that he was 26, what his job was, that he was French and had a wife he didn’t want around anymore.

The alpha huffed into the silence of the room. Maybe it didn’t matter. He would pick the omegas habits up purely by living with him, would learn about his routines, likes and dislikes. The very core of who Levi was, how he showed his feelings, how he treated people, what was important to him – his job, his friends, equality for his kind – was something, Eren had already gained a great understanding of.

He probably worried too much.   
Alpha and omega relationships of any kind were incredibly rare these days and he didn’t know much about them. Who was to say, that it was his dynamic speaking? Eren had never been in a romantic relationship with a man but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t unconsciously seen something in the model and his body was simply paving the way now.  
Stumbling through the days full of events caused by his alpha traits had left him feeling as if his biology overpowered everything else and his mind needed to catch up but it might as well be the other way around.  
Maybe it was his interest in the small man, that caused his dynamic to make itself shown so insistently.

He turned to his side and looked at the back of Levi’s head, his silky, black hair spread over the pillow and recalled the hazy kiss they had shared at noon in a dirty alley. The omegas pheromones had turned everything topsy-turvy and Eren vividly remembered the irresistible desire to be close to the celebrity.  
Now that his fragrance lingered calmly in the air, he wasn’t fueled by the same need anymore.  
Would he kiss him again?

The alpha pressed his lips together, recalling the taste of Levi’s tongue and the feeling of his skin on his mouth.  
There was no doubt that the model was a man, but – and Eren didn’t mean to deny his masculinity – he had a strange softness to himself, something beyond male and female, beyond gender, that the young man couldn’t quite name.  
Levi was beautiful and in a certain way, he was attractive to Eren.

“I can _hear_ you thinking.”  
Levi’s voice was rough from sleep but still as deep and collected as always. The covers rustled, as he turned around and blinked the sleep away, to look at the alpha next to him.  
“Sorry…”, Eren answered with a smile, not feeling sorry at all. He would happily agree to putting his mind to rest and get some god damn shuteye, but it wasn’t as if he could help it.  
“What’s keeping you awake?”  
“You…”

He heard a snort from the model, who rolled his eyes and settled on his back, before he folded his arms behind his head. “Just go to the bathroom and get it out of your system.”  
“Not this kind of thoughts.”, groaned the alpha in response and the omega cocked a brow. “Honestly Levi, I don’t think I’ve talked as much about sex in all my years combined, as in the last four days. Is that all it comes down to for everyone? Omega-alpha-sex drive?”  
Another snort reached his ear and the small man covered a smirk with his hand, while he shook his head in amusement. “I get it, calm down. You’re a deep person, blah blah blah.”  
“Asshole…”

Eren turned on his back as well and stared at the ceiling above them, releasing a deep breath. “You really think that? That all I want is to get laid?”  
He caught Levi’s shrug from the corner of his eye. “No, but you make it out to be something bad. You the ‘don’t fuck before you marry’ kind of guy?”  
“God…”, he rubbed his eyes again and shook his head, before Levi continued.  
“You have to relax a little and stop thinking that I feel horribly insulted by the thought that you want to get into my pants from time to time. It’s our dynamic, it’s normal. That doesn’t make me think that you reduce me to a walking sex doll.”

He turned his head to the omega, who looked at him with a surprisingly honest, open expression. “Okay…”  
A small hand found his and entwined their fingers, before Levi added with a deadpan face “You’re nothing but a boy toy for me though.”  
The chuckle that spilled from Eren’s lips drew another smirk from the omega and the alpha turned to his side again, reaching out with one long, muscular arm and grabbing the model by his slim waist.  
Levi didn’t fight the embrace and it was enough encouragement to pull the man closer, until his small figure was settled against Eren’s wide chest, the alpha practically curling around the omega.

“First you invade my bed and now you want to cuddle?”  
“Hmh…”, he hummed in confirmation, his face buried in Levi’s soft hair.  
“You’re such a handful.”  
“I’m your bodyguard… Just assuring your safety.”  
The model huffed, but still pushed closer to him, his face hidden in the fabric of Eren’s t-shirt and the alpha rubbed Levi’s back in gentle, soothing circles.

He got used to the omega being a walking contradiction, his words always feigning nonchalance when it came to their situation but never denying Eren, rather reaching out to him in an attempt to stay close, at the same time.  
It was endearing and a good life lesson for the young man, that taught him that it was needed to look behind shallow words from time to time, if he really wanted to grasp a person’s true intentions.

Running his fingers over the hem of Levi’s t-shirt, he let them dip below, grazing the smooth skin of his back, despite the short stutter in the omegas breathing.  
“Eren…”  
“Just this, Levi.”  
The small man fell silent, before he reached his own arm around Eren’s body, to rest it on his ribcage, slowly patting the alpha’s back.  
He couldn’t pinpoint why he needed to do this. At the moment he was certainly not feeling as if he would go crazy if he didn’t touch the omega like earlier during the day, but he wanted it. Truly wanted it and as long as Levi didn’t refuse, he would indulge in the little physical contact he got with the man before he started to drift off again.

 

~~~

 

Eren couldn’t fault Erwin for his attitude. Not really.  
The manager had left after fucking the omega two days ago and was occupied with handling Levi’s ex-wife afterwards. The only thing he seemed to be fully aware of was, that Eren had royally screwed up in the open street on the previous day and the whole world knew about his dynamic by now.  
Erwin had Levi, Erwin handled Levi’s problems, Eren just caused more of them.  
Considering those facts, it wasn’t surprising that the man came striding into the living room the next morning with a wide smile, looking as if he ruled the world.  
But man, it was annoying as hell.

“Good morning my lovely turtledoves!”, Hange chirped behind him, ridiculously huge bag in one hand while she juggled a coffee cup for Levi in the other – the only reason why said mans scowl didn’t turn into a deathly glare right away.  
“Take your fucking shoes off!” The omega snatched the foamy-vanilla-caramel-caffeine-something from his physician and made a shooing motion for her to retreat into the hallway and do as he had said.

“Slept well?”, Erwin inquired, and Levi answered with an affirmative grunt, while Eren tried to hide his face by raising his cellphone to eye level, to conceal the smirk that was growing on his lips. He wondered if the manager would keep wearing that smug expression if he knew, that Levi had woken up entangled in Eren’s arms, with his lips pressed against the alphas neck, right where the smell from his scent glands was the strongest. Then there was the moment when the omega had sighed his name, before he was fully awake, his breath ghosting over Eren’s skin while Levi’s morning wood nudged his own and of course the time when the model had started to blink his eyes open. That was the best one.

He had looked sleepy but didn’t move, didn’t shy away or got out of Eren’s arms with a surprised yelp. Nothing of the sort. Instead, Levi had closed his eyes again, purred like a happy cat and buried his nose back in the alphas neck, while he mumbled a ‘good morning’.  
God, the model was a force to be reckoned with and Eren thought that the small man had no idea what he did to him with all this… ‘ _omeganess_ ’.

“What’s so funny?” Eren’s head jolted up when Erwin interrupted his thoughts and the alpha shook it vehemently.  
“Nothing. I slept well too.”, he answered with a grin and turned to Levi, who was barely hiding his own smile now.

“So, what’s the plan?”, Hange interrupted while Erwin cocked a brow at their apparent insider joke and the omega reached for his tablet.  
“No fashion shows, no appointments.”, his fingers wandered over the screen. “I’ll use the time to work on the upcoming columns we agreed on, maybe we can take on some more magazines, now that I have the time.”  
Erwin seemed ready to interrupt but Levi didn’t give him a chance to do so. “Take more interviews too. No meetings though. They can send their questions to be vetted and we’ll answer them right away or green light them if they want to have a phone call instead…”  
“Levi –“  
“… and that kid with the book. What was it? ‘History of fashion’? Get him in too. I refused him, but he can write his section about me. Get me some input on the publisher and their release plan. If it looks as if this is going somewhere, we’ll aim for share of turnover, otherwise we bill him as usual.”  
“Levi, I –“  
“And talk to that social media manager you hired. I want to do some home videos, YouTube shit, maybe stream a little for my fans. Let him set up a social media strategy for the next two weeks till tomorrow. Ah, and –“  
“Levi!”

The model raised his head with a frown and looked at his manager. “What? Anything unclear?”  
Hange’s giggle filled the room and Erwin took a deep breath. “You can’t be serious Levi. It’s fashion week, you can’t just sit at home and expect me to cancel all your appointments. Most of the magazines waited for months to get a slot with you, it’s bad publicity to stand them all up.”  
“And what exactly made you think, that I didn’t consider that?”

The stunned look on Erwin’s face was almost comical, but the omega ignored it and turned his attention back to the tablet in his small hands. “Eren can’t leave the house, that means _I_ can’t leave the house. We will make do with what we have left: A shit ton of free time and an empty schedule.”  
“This again?”, Erwin stepped forward, his expression and voice turning annoyed and upset now and Eren was on his feet without thinking, moving between the model and his manager, before the blond man could get any closer to Levi.

“Eren.”  
He turned his head to the small man, snapping out of it and realizing that he had gotten up from his seat. The immediate reaction of the alpha was evidence enough for both of them to proof, that Levi and Eren shouldn’t be around other people at the moment.  
“Ah, sorry, I –“  
“You’re ruining your career for this boy!”, Erwin interrupted, his voice raised now, one accusing finger pointing at Eren and his humongous eye brows drawn together over an angry glare. “Just how much more needs to happen before you finally come to your senses and kick him out?!”

Eren flinched and Hange raised a hand over her mouth to muffle her surprised gasp, but Levi – Levi just stared, while silence settled over the room and the scent of roses and lilies grew heavy and dark, almost suffocating.  
“Erwin.”, the model answered finally, putting the tablet down in a slow, deliberate motion, before he folded his hands in his lap like a teacher who was about to reprimand his student. “This has nothing to do with my career. My career is doing _fine_. You on the other hand seem to need a break?”

It was unnerving how detached and cold Levi’s voice had become from one second to the other, and Erwin’s fists clenched at his sides while the model’s words rang through the room.  
“Seven years. I’m working for you for seven years and it doesn’t even take a single week for you to start ignoring my advice in favor of keeping this stranger around.”  
“I would heed your advice if it was based on a professional opinion but I’m not wasting time for you two to figure out who’s the top dog. I don’t care of you like Eren. I need him here and you can work with that or you go and take some vacation.”

Eren cringed while he kept his vision glued to the ground. Listening to Levi’s dismissive answer was brutal, but it wasn’t as if he didn’t understand the model, who had told him the very same things two days ago, had said that he needed Erwin and that the alpha had to keep his shit together.  
The big difference was, that Levi didn’t have the humiliating conversation with him in front of the rest of his staff but then again, he couldn’t tell how many times the model had tried to talk sense into his manager, since they have had a few private chats in the previous days.  
For fucks sake, he had _slept_ with Erwin and it still wasn’t enough for the man to see that Levi valued him greatly and felt a certain connection to him. Eren would probably give his left arm at this point to get so close to the omega but the manager had his sight set on getting the alpha out of the house and Levi’s life and exactly this behavior seemed to set the omega off.

Erwin didn’t understand that his antics didn’t drive Eren away, but Levi. He didn’t realize, that his personal interest in the model led him to behave jealous, irrational and unprofessional and what the omega needed right now wasn’t someone who questioned him, but someone who did his god damn job.  
Levi was obviously in work mode – he had made a decision and now he expected his staff to act on it, instead of arguing over his private life and getting even less done but Erwin couldn’t separate the two at the moment.  
_That’s why you didn’t fuck your colleagues._

“Maybe we should take a break.”, Hange tried and tugged at Erwin’s sleeve. “We’ll get back to the hotel for now and give you a call later.”  
Receiving a nod from Levi, she started to pull the manager away from the living room, without so much as an answer from him and they heard the door close a few moments later and released a simultaneous sigh.

“Shit, that escalated pretty quickly. Are you sure you want him to be pissed, Levi?”  
“And what would you have me do?”, he answered and leaned forward to grab the mug and take a sip of his sweet coffee concoction.  
_No fucking idea_ , was what Eren thought as he shrugged and apologized instead of answering the question. “I’m sorry for straining your relationship so much.”  
“He’s my employee, not my boyfriend.” The model stayed quiet for a moment, a contemplating expression on his face before he apparently decided to explain further. “I like Erwin and I trust him. I consider him a friend, but he knows…”, Levi swallowed and Eren noticed the faint tinge of guilt in his scent again. “… that I don’t feel that way about him. I know it’s not fair for him, I _do_ care, but I can’t change it and he needs to stop having expectations.”

It was surprising but pleasant that Levi was so open about this topic with a complete stranger and nodding in understanding, the alpha leaned forward in his seat and reached for the omegas fingers, resting on the side of his armchair. “I get it. It’s not about me or us.” His hand covered Levi’s. “He can’t expect you to be alone for the rest of your life, only to spare his feelings.”  
“Yeah.”, a wry grin adorned the model’s thin lips. “It may not seem like it, but I _am_ an omega after all.”  
“You want a family?” Eren’s head perked up, his gaze withdrawing from their entwined fingers to flitter over Levi’s face just in time to see his eyes widen the slightest bit and a faint blush tinting his cheeks, before the model cleared his throat and abruptly stood up.  
“Anyways. I’ve got some more work for you if you want.”

 

~~~

 

“What did you just say?”  
“ _I said she’ll be there any minute._ ”  
Levi rubbed his aching temple with his free hand, while the other one was about to crush his cellphone in his tight grip. “Hange, you can’t be serious! I’m not letting her into my house!”  
“ _It’s not my fault!_ ”, she wailed, and the omega groaned, because of course it wasn’t. His physician probably didn’t even have any contact information to get in touch with his ex.  
“Erwin…”, he hissed and Hange hummed at the other end of the line. “Just how petulant and petty does he plan to become?”  
“ _I’m pretty sure he’ll have some very convincing reasons prepared if you ask him why he sent her to you, but Levi…_ ”  
“What?”  
She signed into the receiver. “ _Look. You can’t avoid her anyways. You can’t go out to meet her at the moment because of Eren, so she would have to come to your place at some point and…_ ”, she paused for a moment and Levi felt that his left eye started to twitch, “ _… I know things are a little difficult right now and doing this was childish of him, but do you think it’s worth it to make things with Erwin even worse about something that would have happened in the next day’s one way or another?_ ”

The model released a long sigh and turned around to Eren, who was sitting on the couch, watching him with an intent, worried expression. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right.”  
“ _Just make her some tea, listen to what she wants to get off her chest and kick her out. You can manage._ ”  
Of course he could. He wasn’t the problem here. The problem was the almost two-meter-tall man in his living room who might murder the woman as soon as she started to annoy him.  
“I’ll call back.”

Levi ended the conversation without waiting for an answer and threw the phone in the general direction of his armchair, where it hit the cushion with a soft thud.  
“Eren.”  
The alpha hadn’t looked away from him once, his gaze still fixed on the omega and he gave a short nod, when Levi addressed him. “Yes?”  
“Mikasa is coming.”  
Green eyes went wide and he visibly swallowed, before he nodded again. “Uh, okay, yeah. Okay?”  
“Try not to talk and avoid answering questions if she speaks with you.”  
“Okay, I can do th–“, the doorbell interrupted him and he flinched, while Levi groaned in exasperation and turned around after telling him, that he should try to empty the coffee table as good as possible. He didn’t need her to go through his files on top of having a shitty conversation with the beast.

When he opened the door and a storm of flashlights went off in his face, he scowled, before he fixed his eyes on the woman in front of him and already had to face the first problem.  
Mikasa had brought company. Managers maybe, or stylists, lawyers or best friends. He didn’t care who the people behind her were, but they wouldn’t set a fucking foot in his house. Not on a normal day and especially not now with Eren waiting inside like a ticking bomb that didn’t need audience when he inevitably exploded, because Levi was pretty certain that he smelled like the gutter at the moment.

“They’re waiting outside.”  
Mikasa raised a thin brow and folded her arms. “Hello to you too.”  
Rolling his eyes, he was about to turn around and let her in, when he saw her motion to the circus to follow and stepped into the opening of the door again with a hiss on his lips. “This is my house. You do what I say, or you turn around and leave.”

Her glare was quite intimidating, but nothing he couldn’t handle, and he scowled in return, because he wouldn’t back down – not on this one – and was well accustomed to their silent staring contests by now.  
When she relented rather quickly, he was surprised, wondering if the press around her got to her nerves and she didn’t feel like exposing their horrible relationship to the public any longer than necessary, but he found out the real reason seconds later, when he turned around.

Eren was standing – no, looming – behind him in the hallway with folded arms and a passive expression Levi wasn’t used to seeing on him and his eyes scanned the people in front of the door who began to take a few steps back, while he kept watching them with his intense look.  
The scent that reached Levi was concerned, probably because it had taken the omega so long to get his ‘guest’ inside, which in turn had prompted the alpha to come after him.  
Nice and somehow endearing.

The alpha turned around and walked back towards the couch, as soon as Levi had shut the door behind the woman, seemingly determined not to talk with her and the model almost smiled at his behavior.  
Eren was like a god damn puppy.

“So, what do you want?”  
She froze in the middle of taking off her tasteful high heels – yeah, she still had it in her, Levi could admit that much. A beautiful face, a perfect body and an impeccable fashion sense that only brought out the best in her – and glared at him again.  
“Yes, I’d love some tea.”, was her response, before she strode past him and followed Eren into the living room.

He made his way to the kitchen, passing the couch just in time to listen to her saying “So, Eren, right?” and see him giving her a small nod, and started with the fastest tea preparation in human’s history. The clinking of the cups only broken by the voices from the next room with Mikasa asking questions, that Eren answered with ‘ _yes_ ’, ‘ _no_ ’, ‘ _I don’t know_ ’ and an occasional uncommitted hum.  
Good, he was doing just fine, they could handle this.

“Your tea.”  
He set the cup down in front of her, right beside Eren’s because _obviously_ she had taken the seat next to him and she didn’t bother to thank him for the hospitality. “Can we get to the part where you tell me why you are here?”  
There was no need to look at her, to know that she was rolling her eyes, so instead he turned away and closed the short distance to his armchair, before he sat down.  
“Why? Got anything planned?”  
“Erwin didn’t confirm your ‘ _visit_ ’ with me, otherwise I would have told him that Eren isn’t feeling too well.”, he said rather politely, considering that the truth was something along the lines of ‘ _Erwin behaves like a childish asshole and didn’t ask me, otherwise I would have made sure that Eren doesn’t get a chance to stain my beautiful couch in your poisonous blood_ ’. Though looking at him, everything seemed to be okay and when Mikasa said that she thought he looks ‘just fine’, he noticed a faint blush on the alphas cheeks.

Levi frowned, not even listening to the damn woman anymore, who started to talk about god-knows-what and it didn’t take too long, before Eren began to shoot sidelong glances at her.  
He was still true to his words, didn’t talk and answered her questions scarcely but that couldn’t distract the omega from Eren’s eyes and his scent.  
He was _ogling_ her.

When the alpha nodded in response for the umpteenth time to something she had said and Mikasa released a soft, delighted giggle, he finally snapped out of it and caught the last words of her next sentence – something about how polite and handsome he was, spiced up with a little remark about it being unbelievable that Levi managed to keep someone like Eren around for more than a single day.

The alpha didn’t answer, because Levi had _told_ him not to comment on her shit, but he really did wish now, that Eren would knock her down a notch for her impertinent insult.  
“What do you want?”, he spat out between gritted teeth, pretty close to losing his patience and her face turned impassive, just like it always did when she directed her attention at him.  
“Just wanted to visit my lovely husband, Levi.”, she replied with a sweet voice, nevertheless dripping with sarcasm and he scoffed, watching how her gaze wandered back to the alpha and she peppered him with more questions about how he liked it in Paris and if he had seen the city yet.

Levi’s lips pressed into a thin line, while he observed the one-sided conversation.  
Eren seemed a little stiff but rather shy than uncomfortable, judging by the deep redness that had risen up to the tips of his ears. The omega on the other hand, was probably looking like a ghost by now, white like the knuckles of his clenched fists.  
Just why was she doing that? Did she hope to get information out of the alpha or was she just trying to piss him off? Did she want… Eren? She didn’t even know him.

A fresh whiff of alpha scent hit him, when his ex leaned into Eren’s personal space and her chest pressed against his biceps and Levi wouldn’t believe a single second that the movement had been accidental.  
It smelt… good. Not the slightest note of discomfort, just open curiosity, accompanied by the alphas continuous glances at her, his ridiculously red face and a shy smile on his lips and Levi – Levi felt ready to vomit right here, right now on his pristine, fluffy carpet.

Eren’s head swung around, his gaze suddenly trained on Levi and if he had to make a guess, it was probably because he must have started to stink, but he couldn’t help feeling nothing but pure distaste regarding the idea that the alpha had interest in the petite Asian.  
“Levi?”, Eren asked, interrupting Mikasa’s monologue without a care, not apologizing to her or even shooting her a compunctious look but staring at Levi, only at Levi, who must have been looking like the incarnation of disgust at the moment.  
Yeah, omega scent would do that to an alpha.

The thought left him bitter and he tried to conjure the memories of the previous day, of Eren telling him that someone like Mikasa wouldn’t be competition for Levi and of course she wasn’t because she didn’t smell like him, but it didn’t make him feel any better.  
The alpha was drawn to him because of his pheromones, had told him that he wasn’t into men and his ex was a beautiful woman with all the right attributes in all the right places while Levi was by definition the least masculine man on the planet – he could bear children for fucks sake! – and only captured Eren’s attention with the shifting of his scent.  
Suddenly he missed Erwin. Erwin who couldn’t smell him and loved him for him.

His head snapped up.  
_Erwin_ …  
Did that fucker know this would happen? It was so, _so_ like him. And why hadn’t Mikasa asked for the alpha to leave? This was supposed to be a private conversation between a married couple after all and he had asked her several times by now, why she was visiting, without getting any decent answer.  
Releasing the bottom lip he had started to chew on in frustration, he turned his look to Eren. Eren the two-meter-tall puppy, who was still watching him with concern as if he had suddenly become the center of the universe, waiting for a response.

So Eren was into women. Big deal. He was into omegas just the same, if not more and for an alpha, it didn’t matter much which gender an omega had, that much Levi knew.  
“Come here.”  
The young man got up without so much as raising an eyebrow and walked to him and Levi didn’t care if this was just as petty as Erwin’s behavior or if he made an idiot out of himself or if this whole thing between them would go nowhere in the end. The one thing he knew was, that he was definitely _not_ giving him up to Mikasa, just because she wanted to play one of her stupid games with him.  
She could ruin his life and take his pride and his money all she wanted, but she would _never_ manage to take an alpha from an omega and he had to stop this right here, right now, nip it in the bud before they would begin to openly flirt with each other or exchange numbers.

“What do you need?” Eren’s voice was a soft whisper, close to his ear and low enough for the woman not to hear it.  
“Don’t…”, Levi bit his bottom lip and Eren’s gaze darted down for a second, before he licked his own, entranced by the small motion of the omega. “… look at her.”  
The alphas eyes shot back up to Levi’s irides, wide and surprised, while the embarrassment in the model’s scent grew heavier by the second, tinged with undertones of jealousy and pride and Eren stared at him for a few long moments, before a small smile crept into his face. “ _Oh_ …”

Possessiveness wasn’t reserved for the dominant gender. It was just as prominent in the omega dynamic but expressed in a different way, without the aggression and violent tendencies that screamed ‘this is my territory’.  
Omegas were subtle in their every action, and they didn’t mark their possessions by scaring off competitors but by ruling the object of their affection into a different kind of submission. A devotion to the omega, driven by the silent promises in their scent.

Levi was giving too much away now, he knew he did. He didn’t even know Eren for a week, but he already admitted to the alpha, that he didn’t want to share him. A feeling that hadn’t begun to exist just now, but he hadn’t felt the need to act on before, because there had been no threat and he didn’t want to give the brat any weird ideas.  
Trust Mikasa to change the situation for the worse.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friendly readers, I just finished this new chapter. Not the best in terms of writing but I have given up on dissecting my own texts by now and accepted that my English isn't perfect (Thanks to your encouraging comments :D). Sometimes it turns out better, sometimes it doesn't but it shouldn't hurt the plot and I still hope it's a good read for you.  
> I will try to write another chapter before the end of the week but I'm not 100% sure if I can manage to get it ready and on Friday I'll fly to the US (yay!) for a little birthday vacation \o/ I will try to give you some more reading material before but I can't make promises just yet.  
> Anyways - more drama arises!
> 
> I want to thank you again for all your lovely comments - seeing feedback from you is what keeps me going and your sweet words really motivate me. I look forward to reading more from you, tell me what you think, what you like or dislike, I'm more than happy about all of your input :)

“So, Eren, right?”  
He gulped and nodded slowly, while the slim woman sat down next to him, crossed her legs in a slow, graceful motion and a whiff of her delicate perfume reached his nose. It didn’t smell as good as Levi’s scent, but it was nice, fresh and unobtrusive. Everything about her was, actually.  
She didn’t wear anything too extravagant, no screaming colors, no strange choice of clothes, only a perfectly fitted dark pencil skirt and a soft, red blouse. Her hair was just as shiny and silky as Levi’s, pitch-black and cut around her shoulders and her face was flawless, much like the omegas, with milky white skin and the same grey, stormy eyes he loved to stare at.  
He would have thought she was his sister, if he didn’t know any better.

God, she was so pretty, even if her smile was a little reserved – just like Levi’s – and Eren really wasn’t considering himself a womanizer but she seemed to take to him immediately.  
He didn’t know what to do with the situation.  
The easy way she instantly made conversation with him was admirable, probably learned from a life in the spotlight. He just felt himself grow more and more nervous and shy, the longer he sat next to her, but it was probably for the best. Less talking meant less chances to spill anything that Levi didn’t want her to know.

Levi. Right.  
He was in Levi’s house, as Levi’s guest and as far as he knew, he was talking to the enemy.  
An enemy with a beautiful face and a soft voice and friendly, genuine eyes.  
Only when the omega returned, did her demeanor change, but he didn’t sense any malice in it either. They just really annoyed each other from what he could tell – some people simply didn’t get along – and it wasn’t surprising that Mikasa held some grudges when it came to her husband. He left her after all.

Why she was here, he didn’t quite gather. She seemed a lot more interested in getting to know him, than talking to her husband and truth be told, he enjoyed to be the center of attention of a woman like her, even if it didn’t make a lot of sense to him.  
It was only when she leaned in to feel the texture of his hair between her fingers – apparently it looked very healthy and she was curious how he kept it looking so soft – and her breast touched his arm, that he realized what he was doing, no thanks to himself but to the breathtaking stench that started to fill the room.

His head turned to Levi immediately and he eyed the small man, sitting in his armchair with a rather confusing expression. The model wasn’t someone to show his thoughts and feelings easily, had perfected the blank face he wore at almost all times but Eren could instantly spot the agitation in his eyes this time.  
“Levi…?”

The omega looked at him in silence, before he beckoned him close with a low voice and he got up without a second thought, not even sparing a glance at the woman next to him, who – as he recognized now – had stopped talking at some point and he bend down to whisper in Levi’s ear, for him and only him to hear.  
“What do you need?”

Being close to the model, he picked the confusing mix of fragrances up more easily, the omega’s embarrassment being the most prominent. What Levi felt embarrassed about, he couldn’t tell.  
“Don’t…”, the models voice was barely audible and Eren’s eyes darted to Levi’s mouth, when he bit his bottom lip. _Oh god…_  
“… look at her.”

 _Huh…_  
Huh?  
He stared at the man for a few seconds, before his own eyes widened in comprehension and his lips opened with a smile, a soft “ _Oh…_ ”, escaping his mouth.

Jealousy – he smelt it clear as day now. Did omegas feel possessive? Probably, he had no clue. He knew that they didn’t start fights in the open street about alphas but that didn’t mean much. Maybe they just clawed each other’s eyes out behind closed doors.  
He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck. If it was Eren, he would scent the omega, smother him in his fragrance until he was sure that people would smell it from a mile away who he belonged to – not that they would be able to pick it up, but that wasn’t of interest for his instincts.

Did Levi feel the same?  
Did he want to douse him in omega pheromones? Mikasa was still sitting close by and her observing them would be too revealing, but he could probably just ask the model to follow him to the next room for a moment. Then again, he was absolutely certain that the celebrity didn’t want to leave her alone in his house for a second.   
_Shit_ , this shouldn’t be so complicated.

“Are you dating, or something?”, her voice cut through his thoughts, rather playful and jokingly but he stiffened on reflex nevertheless.  
“Eren is _working_ for me.”  
Levi still looked somewhat upset and way too pale for Eren’s liking, but he kept his composure with practiced ease while the alpha swallowed heavily, grateful, that his back was turned to her, because he wasn’t sure if he could handle his expression at the omegas words.  
Not that the model had said anything that wasn’t true, but it didn’t make him feel any better.

He straightened up and turned around, keeping his eyes on the small man, because he had explicitly asked him _not to look at her_ and the desire to please Levi overshadowed every other rational thought, while his sour scent invaded Eren’s nostrils.  
“Yeah, he hired me a few days ago.”  
“Don’t let him boss you around too much.”

Eren saw her getting up from the corner of his eyes, Levi’s glare not leaving her for a second. “Well it was nice meeting you.”, a rustling of paper reached his ears, before she held a small business card between her fingers, for him to take.  
“You’re an alpha, right?”  
“Huh?”, he looked up against his better judgement and she gifted him with a warm smile, revealing perfect, white teeth.  
“Sorry, that was probably intrusive. I just find it so interesting! Maybe we can have a coffee some day and you can tell me a little more about it?”  
His fingers closed around the paper, while he felt his ears growing hot and he nodded reluctantly.  
“I can show you the city and treat you to some real nice food, I know all the spots. Just give me a call if you feel like it.”  
“Uh, yeah, sure…”, a smile crept into his face. He couldn’t help that he liked her somehow, even if Levi had his issues with her. She seemed to be the same kind of no nonsense person as the omega and didn’t strike him as someone who had ulterior motives or lied.  
At first glance, Levi and Mikasa were a lot more alike than they might think, which was probably the reason why they clashed so much.

It was a given that he wouldn’t call her, he would never jeopardize his relationship with the small man, but outright refusing to take her number would be a little suspicious as well, so he slipped the card into one of the the pockets of his pants, while the omega got up and ended their conversation with a curt goodbye, almost shoving her back into the hallway in the next second.  
The scent hadn’t gotten any better but he could let Levi mark him, now that she was leaving and he sat down on the couch again, waiting for the sound of the closing door and the return of the model to the living room, to be drowned in omega fragrance.

Which didn’t happen.

Levi strode past him, climbing the stairs with quick steps, followed by a cloud of bitter scent and before Eren could ask what was going on, the model had disappeared from his sight and he heard the sound of his bedroom door slamming shut on the floor above him.

“Levi?”, he followed him upstairs, his steps almost silent as he hasted to the model’s room on bare feet and knocked at the door. “Levi, what’s wrong?”  
“Leave me alone.”, the voice that answered him was muffled by the wooden board between them and Eren’s brows furrowed, before he reached for the door handle and tried to step in, only to find it locked.  
“Levi, what’s going on?”  
A dark chuckle from the other side reached his ears, but he didn’t receive any answer, tried calling the omegas name again and rattled on the door. “Levi, talk to me!”  
“Leave me alone, Eren.”  
“Let me in!”  
“Or what?!”, the door flew open and the omega glared at him, blocking the entrance with his small frame. “Or you’re going to break it down? Why don’t you piss off and give your new bff a call?!”  
“My… what…?”

He stepped forward, tried to get closer to the small man but Levi shied away from his reach, closing the gap between the door and its wooden frame further and no matter how much Eren wanted to get in, he wouldn’t push the door open and force himself into the room. This wasn’t his house, it was Levi’s.  
“You’re a fucking idiot! Doesn’t it occur to you, that it’s strange that she’s so interested in you? She has never met you and now she comes here under the pretense to talk to _me_ , only to ignore me and drop her number?!”  
“I…”  
“Well fuck off then! Get out of my fucking house and go have a fucking _coffee_ with her!”, he scoffed. “Let’s see how much interest she has left for you, if you aren’t living here anymore!”

Eren could feel how his face fell and his mouth opened, but all the words had left him.  
It was true, he knew it the moment Levi told him. It made no sense that she was so interested in a stranger she had never met and that she came here with the excuse that she needed to talk with her husband was exactly that – and excuse. She had ignored the omega completely, didn’t answer him when he asked what she wanted and left as soon as she got her message across: _Let’s stay in contact and get to know each other._

What she hoped to gain, he had no clue. He wouldn’t talk to her about Levi, but she couldn’t know that or maybe she had some weird alpha fetish – it wasn’t unheard of – and despite all of that, despite being absolutely certain, that every word the model had uttered was true, he felt bitter.  
Bitter, that Levi blamed him for her behavior, bitter that the omega discarded the idea that someone simply _liked_ Eren for who he was, so easily.

Levi’s nose twitched from the first tendrils of sour scent that rose around them – Eren’s scent, not his own, strong and the most potent among all secondary genders.  
“Levi…”, his voice was deep and dark, fueled by his sudden emotions and he watched with a little bit of satisfaction how grey eyes widened slightly, a faint shiver freezing the omega in place. “… Short answers, no information, no questions. I did _exactly_ what you asked of me.”  
“Well I didn’t ask you to eye-fuck her!”, the small man spat and Eren’s teeth clenched to force down the bile, rising in his throat together with the anger in his guts.  
“It’s not like I’m going to fuck you, is it? You rather ask Erwin.”, he muttered cynically, without properly thinking his words through.

Levi stared at him, stunned and disbelieving, before his own scent shifted with vigor, hitting Eren’s senses with violent anger and the models beautiful face scrunched up in an ugly grimace.  
“You little piece of shit… Get out of my sight.”  
The door slammed shut in Eren’s face and he gulped, clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides a few times and tried to gather himself, processing what had happened, what the fuck he had said. He stared at the offending wooden board in front of him for several minutes, hoping for the omega to come back, thinking about knocking at the door again before he finally shook his head and turned around to leave the upper floor.

 

~~~

 

“So what happened?”  
“I…”, Levi heaved a sigh and rubbed his eyes, trying to concentrate despite the stench – Eren’s and his own – that lingered everywhere around him.  
Why he had called Hange of all people, he couldn’t remember, only how disappointed and upset he had felt and the wish not to be alone while he was moping in his bedroom. It hadn’t even taken her twenty minutes to arrive at his doorstep, when she heard his broken voice on the phone.

“I fought with Eren.”, he announced finally, and his physician cocked her head, readjusting her glasses, while she settled on the edge of his bed where he had cocooned himself in a pile of blankets like a newborn baby or – well – an omega.  
“Because of Mikasa?”  
The model looked up into her searching eyes, suddenly feeling scrutinized and buried himself deeper in the soft haven around him. “Yeah…”

She chuckled, shaking her head and the omega felt himself frown, deep creases forming between his brows. “What’s so funny?”  
“What did you fight about?”, the woman didn’t bother to answer his question and his gaze shied away from her, looking at everything and nothing. If only she would be able to smell him like Eren did, sense all the fragrances around him to spare him the talking. The anger, disappointment, hurt and regret.

“She ignored me. They both did and then she gave him her number.” Levi bit his bottom lip. It did sound pretty stupid, now that he said it aloud and Hange’s skeptical look told him just that.  
“He ogled her!”, he tried to defend himself, but she only shook her head.  
“And that’s a problem because…?”  
The omega huffed, cursing himself for calling her and she rolled her eyes when he didn’t answer her, staring at the opposite wall like a pouting child.  
“So you’re jealous.”

“I’m _NOT_ jealous!”  
He almost yelled but Hange didn’t seem fazed by his outburst and shrugged. “Alright, you are not jealous. You just start fighting with him because he talked to a person you don’t like – who happens to be a beautiful female model and your ex-wife. Does that sound correct so far?”  
The telltale twitch of his left eye, combined with the glare he was sending her way seemed to be all the answer she needed. “Well, that’s jealousy.”  
“Why would I be jealous? I barely know him!”  
“Oh my god, Levi!”, she rolled her eyes yet again. “It’s pretty damn obvious. You’re an omega, he’s an alpha, your dynamic doesn’t wait till it fits your schedule. It wants you to make cute little green-eyed babies with him and watch the man feet them Sauerkraut.”

The model wrinkled his nose. “That’s fucking gross, Hange. Babies can’t eat Sauerkraut. Absolutely _nobody_ should eat Sauerkraut.”  
“I’m glad you focus on the important part of my statement, munchkin.”, she murmured sarcastically, and Levi let his gaze stray away again, his shoulders slumping, before she continued. “Did you tell him that you didn’t like it when he was giving her his attention?”  
“Sort of…”  
“Sort of?”  
The small man groaned. “I told him not to look at her and…”  
“And?”  
“That… it seemed as if he wanted to fuck her.”, he answered, almost whispering with a sheepish look, that surprised even his long-term physician, causing her to raise her eyebrows.  
“Smooth. What did he say?”  
“He… called me out on sleeping with Erwin.”  
“Ouch! That baby-alpha got some bite, huh?”

Levi had started to chew on his bottom lip again, annoyed at Eren, now that he had reminded himself of the alphas words but Hange interrupted his thoughts. “He’s not wrong though.”  
“What?!”, his eyes snapped back to her face, giving her an incredulous look.  
“Well, he did stay at your place and he did deal with all this hormone shit at the same tome too and you did fuck blondie. It’s a little hypocritical of you to complain, no? And it’s not as if you found him banging her on the couch, violating the sanctity of your home. She just gave him her number.”  
The model scoffed but didn’t have much of an answer to that and folded his arms in front of his chest.

“Did Eren get angry when he found out about Erwin? Did he argue or lash out on you?”  
“Not really…”, he mumbled begrudgingly.  
“But you did, when another person dared to talk to him, without him actually doing anything to reciprocate the sentiment?”  
Levi groaned yet again, rubbing his face with small hands.  
“Sounds like someone should apologize.”, she concluded and the omega tried to burry his head below his pile of blankets. “But before you do that, you should ask yourself some questions.”

“And what questions would those be, four-eyes?”, he grumbled, unsure if he was annoyed at her for telling him all this shit he didn’t want to hear, or at himself for behaving like a moron.  
“What you think of him and if you like him. You may only know each other for five days but putting it all on your secondary gender is the easy way out and you know it. Your instincts wouldn’t act up so aggressively if you didn’t give a shit about him.”

 

~~~

 

The young alpha shuffled through his room aimlessly, wondering what to do.  
He had locked himself in here soon after Levi had banished him from the upper floor, not daring to sit down in the living area again because he feared the man would pass by and spot him – and probably kick him out for good.  
It hadn’t taken long before he heard someone coming in from the front door and he had been poised to get out and defend the omegas home with fists and teeth if necessary, before he heard Hange calling for Levi, gong upstairs only seconds later.

Since then, there was only silence in the house. Silence broken by the occasional noises from Eren walking through his room or sitting down on the bed, only to get up again a few minutes later and resume his mindless pacing.

Was he supposed to pack his things? Get his stuff gathered and leave the house?  
He didn’t know. He had no clue and his inner battle didn’t provide him with any answers.  
It was so important for a part of him, to listen to the omegas wishes, to fulfill his will and do whatever he asked of Eren but he didn’t, _couldn’t_ think of leaving Levi.  
Just imagining it made his head spin, his guts churn and nausea taking over and his mind was eager to fill him with thoughts about the model getting sick from his suppressants if Eren parted from him, about the omega being alone and _unprotected_ , if he didn’t stay.

The alpha didn’t understand what had happened, couldn’t fathom Levi’s reaction, because it was too puzzling and too different from his own dynamic or personality.  
What he knew was, that the omega had smelt possessive and jealous, that he felt deeply embarrassed about it at the same time but that he had decided to punish Eren for the situation was confusing.

Being in the same situation, the young man would have focused his anger at whoever was trying to get close to Levi, but never at the model himself, because it wasn’t his fault that he was beautiful, interesting or heavenly smelling.  
It was other peoples fault for believing they could have a part of it.  
His dynamic would always direct all his efforts at eliminating possible threats, never even thinking about blaming the omega for the attention other people paid him.

Levi was different though.  
Eren had followed his advices and had refrained from giving his number to Mikasa but the omega had clearly interpreted his behavior as a sign of affection towards the Asian woman nevertheless and faulted the alpha for the situation.  
Maybe he had been too friendly. He couldn’t deny that the female was attractive, beautiful and – at least towards him – friendly and easy to talk and listen to. And maybe he shouldn’t have made that dumb comment about Erwin, but things had already gone to shit by then anyways and it wasn’t as if that was the part that tipped the scale in his opinion.

Quite possible, that it didn’t have anything to do with dynamic. That it was Levi’s personality talking because he had been housing the alpha, had accepted him and shown concern and understanding and felt betrayed now.  
Betrayed, because Eren had been too chummy with the ‘enemy’ for the omegas liking – not that he would ever find out what was really going on, if Levi refused to talk to him.

He sighed deeply, lunging himself at the mattress again and reached for his cellphone on the bedside table, laying there abandoned since the morning.  
A few e-mails regarding university showed up on the screen, together with messages of friends and family, wondering when he’d show up in Berlin again, with the most insistent in his efforts being Armin. The small blond man was probably hoping for some sexy snapshots of his favorite celebrity.

Eren thumbed through the messages, before he opened facebook only to find a few hundred notifications and requests.  
“Huh?”, he muttered to himself, sitting up in the bed and reading the first comments that random people had left below his profile picture and all too soon he felt himself run cold, a frown on his face and a sharp intake of air on his lips.

“What the…”  
Scrolling through the endless amount of posts on his wall, his eyes went wide as he looked at pictures with anti-alpha messages, only a few comments here and there that spoke of his secondary gender in a positive way. Hateful slurs about his ‘filthy dynamic’ littered every single one of his pictures and posts but the most prominent statement by far was the never-ending repetition of a single sentence, he read over and over again.  
‘ _Leave Levi alone._ ’

They… _hated_ him.

There was a heavy lump in his throat and he tried to swallow around it with a dry mouth, staring at the screen of his smartphone in disbelief and shock.  
He shouldn’t overreact. The model was famous, and it was to be expected, that some crazy fans would freak out about the proximity of the alpha – of probably every human being – to the omega.  
But it hurt.  
The sheer mass of detestable feedback that had gathered on his social media account in less than a single day after his dynamic had become known to the world, was something Eren wasn’t prepared for.

He released a deep breath and dropped the cellphone on the bed, burying his face in his hands and willed himself not to cry, to hold the tears back that he felt prickling in his eyes already from being overwhelmed by the mass of problems that came crashing down on him all at once now.  
What the hell was going on here?  
Eren had thought that he was doing something good by staying by Levi’s side, had enjoyed the time with the omega but he had neglected his own life for days and now not only the model but the whole world seemed to hate him.

A pillow hit the door, after he threw it through the room to release some of his anger.  
_Fuck them._  
So what if he had looked at Mikasa? Since when was looking forbidden? He had done exactly as Levi had told him and it wasn’t fair to be punished like this.  
Eren was trying to help him, had dropped everything to stay at his side, was losing his _god damn mind_ around the model, almost committing an offense in public because of Levi’s shitty pheromones!  
It wasn’t as if he wanted to be reduced to a mindless, horny, aggressive piece of shit – he had done it for the omega and all he got in return was being yelled at, stalked on social media, hated by the world and probably forcefully exmatriculated from university because he hadn’t arranged his fucking registration for the next term yet.

He flung his legs over the edge of the bed and got up, opened the closet, yanked his suitcase out and dumped it on the mattress before he messily threw his clothes into his baggage.  
If the whole word – if _Levi_ – wanted him to be gone, he might as well get the hell out of here.

He stomped into the bathroom, lifted his t-shirt to the edge of the shelf below the mirror and pushed all of the cosmetic items on top of it onto the fabric in one big swipe. The stuff got dumped into the suitcase just as carelessly as the rest of his belongings after walking back with the items clutched to his body.

Fucking assholes. Fucking betas with their fucking stupidity and fucking Levi for his jealousy and his shitty manager who he gladly offered a piece of his ass to and for his god damn wife and his insane fans and– _Fuck!_

Eren threw whatever he was holding in his hand right now at the next wall, slumped down on the ground and hugged his knees while a sob forced its way out of his throat.

He _couldn’t_. He couldn’t leave Levi and he wasn’t able to bear the feeling of his rejection. It hurt like a bitch, more than all the hateful comments he had read a few minutes ago, more than the punch from Erwin he had taken to obey Levi’s will.  
It was overwhelming and ridiculous and insane but he could not, _would not_ leave the omegas side as long as the model didn’t call the police on him to get him out of the house and the reality that it meant for him to endure whatever spiteful acts Levi threw at him, hit hard. He had never imagined it to turn out this way when he first smelt the scent of roses and lilies in the empty bathroom of an airport.

What he had hoped was to find someone he could deeply connect with, someone who would understand him, someone who…  
He ran a shaky hand through his hair. What _exactly_ had he hoped for?

When he finally gathered himself and forced his body away from the ground, he heard the sound of light steps on the stairs, Levi’s voice, accompanied by Hange’s, echoing through the house and the click of the front door, when he had said his good byes to his physician.  
Eren stared at the door of his room, aware of the path Levi’s feet took, before silence settled again, filled only by his ragged breathing and the knowledge that the omega was standing in front of his door, without saying anything, doing anything, just waiting there.

His gaze flew through the room, down to his hands and he swallowed heavily, full of hesitation, before he convinced himself to move to the door and opened it slowly, careful not to startle the small man.  
“Levi?”  
The model didn’t look up, his fingers entangled in each other, almost looking as nervous as his scent made him out to be.  
He looked so _small_ and Eren felt the urge to cradle the man in his arms rise violently.  
“I’m…”, the omega looked up, a torn expression on his usually blank face. He took the sight of the alpha in, eying him tentatively, before he glanced past him, and his jaw went slack, his mouth opening in surprise.

Eren frowned, turned around to follow Levi’s gaze, only to see the suitcase – _the god damn fucking suitcase_ – and he spun around just in time to realize that the model had tried to wipe his eyes, his teeth gnawing at his lower lip again while his scent washed over the alpha, full of sadness and a deep hurt.  
“So… you’re leaving?”  
“No! Levi, I – “  
The small man scoffed and raised his head again. “It’s fine. I get it, you don’t need to explain.”  
He didn’t even have the time to reach out to the omega, the celebrity already retreating and leaving him standing in his door frame with fast strides that almost made it look as if he was running. It took a split second for Eren to catch up to Levi’s words, before he came into motion, following the model and sprinting up the stairs behind him.  
“Levi! Wait!”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, are you still with me? :D I'm back with a new chapter! Sorry it took so long but I didn't manage to finish it before my vacation, then I was away, then I had jet lag, then I got sick... Was a god damn nightmare. And then I wrote a little for my ereri-avatar one shot... I'm kind of still hung up with that.  
> Anyways: First of all I want to thank you for the incredible feedback I got, I got so many comments from you about this fic in the last two weeks (which I will answer when I finally have this chapter posted) and it made me incredibly happy. A little shout-out to SupaSamnitch112 who left me not one, but two incredibly sweet posts and asked me to continue this fic soon - here you go sweetheart, wouldn't leave you hanging when you ask so super nicely ;)
> 
> The chapter is a bit of a patchwork - I wrote a completely different approach first but decided to change it. I kept some parts though and I hope I smoothed it all out. I'm actually quite happy with it, and I hope you feel the same. In case you wonder why the fight isn't drawn out more: Well I would usually do it, but I don't want to separate them at the moment since it wouldn't do our lovely Eren much good ;)  
> I look forward to your feedback as always and I hope you will have fun reading. Thanks for all your support! :)

Life was funny sometimes. People tried their best to be prepared for the path in front of them, planning their steps, securing themselves to be able to deal with whatever the world would throw at them but the thing was: It was impossible to stay one step ahead at all times.  
Sometimes the universe would just trip people up, all the deities ganging up against a single person and slap a big surprise in their face, no matter how guarded, no matter how geared up someone was to handle the things that lay ahead.

For some people it was cruel. A loss or a sudden disappearance of someone of importance, leaving a hole that felt as if it could never be filled again. Others were lucky, won the lottery, reunited with their family or were finally able to see the wonders in the small things in life.  
A sunset, a rainbow, the laugh of their child.

For Eren it was the scent of roses and lilies in a restroom, in an airplane, a hotel room, in a bed. It was a smile on thin lips, the glint in grey eyes, the sensation of small, lean fingers on his skin.  
Levi – the alpha thought – was something nothing in life could have ever prepared him for.  
Levi with his sparse humor, his hardworking attitude, his foul mouth and his beautiful face and Eren couldn’t remember the last time he wanted something so much, was so scared of losing it as in this very moment, with the omega running from him, his perfect scent tarnished with putrid notes that spoke of his deeply hurt feelings.

The only upside to it all was, that Levi wasn’t prepared either. Not for the determination of an alpha on a mission, not for the speed of his legs that took him up the stairs in fast strides, two or three steps at a time, chasing his pray like driven by instinct, nor for the tenderness of his hands when Eren finally managed to grab his shoulders but didn’t yank him around as Levi had expected, just pulled him into his embrace, the models back on the alphas chest and his face in the omegas hair.

“Eren, let go.”  
“No.”, the alphas response wasn’t heated but immediate and insistent and Levi started to struggle against the hold that caged him, his voice raising in anger when his attempts to free himself proofed futile.  
“What the fuck do you want from me? If you want to leave, get out of here!”  
“God, Levi, cut the crap!”  
“What, you want money? Her address?”, one of his small hands uselessly hit Eren’s thigh but the alpha either didn’t feel it or wasn’t bothered by it in the slightest.  
“Will you stop with that shit? I’m not leaving!”  
“Well you obviously wanted to!”  
“You told me to!”  
The model panted, began to feel the exertion of his fight against strong arms, while Eren’s chest still rose calmly in his back and his heart beat steadily against his shoulder blades, but he wasn’t about to give up. “Well it’s doesn't seem like you want to be here!”  
“That’s not true!”  
“I don’t care, ok?!”, Levi’s short, blunt, perfectly manicured fingernails scratched red lines into the soft skin of Eren’s arm, but his hold only grew tighter. “If you want to be with her, just leave!”  
“For fucks sake, Levi! I don’t want to be with her! I don’t even know her! What the hell is wrong with you?!”  
“What’s wrong with _me_?!”, he yelled at Eren, still struggling in his arms like a toddler without a chance to escape. “ _You_ packed your shit already! If you just waited for an excuse to leave, then piss off! You don’t have to be here for my sake, you don’t owe me, it’s not like we’re an item!”  
“ _Well maybe I want us to be!!_ ”

The tight grip of small hands around Eren’s forearm went slack, together with the model’s body in the alphas embrace while silence settled in the hallway and just like that, it was over – all the anger drained away from the model, all the disappointment washed away by the deep, demanding voice of the tall man behind him.  
In a different situation, it might have been funny that they gulped audibly at the same time but both of them only felt the tension between them, created by their words and the mix of their scents. Confused, uncertain, hopeful.

Levi wasn’t self-conscious. He was famous for his looks, well known for his work ethics, rich, loved by millions of people. There might be others in this world who didn’t think that they deserved Eren’s affection and devotion, but Levi wasn’t feeling that way. The problem wasn’t Eren looking at him, the problem was Eren looking _away_.  
He was a ten out of ten, his own man, he was successful, and he didn’t take shit from anyone, not from reporters, not from Erwin, not from his fucking ex, so why was a wave of insecurity washing over him now, and making his hands shake and his body tremble?  
Eren did that to him.  
For Eren, the rules didn’t apply.  
With Eren he was someone else.

It wasn’t a matter of choice that the alpha made him weak and possessive and domestic, but it wasn’t something he fought either. He had no qualms with his dynamic, had no problems with not being perfect or strong or dominant because Eren didn’t make him feel small.  
The alpha had been drawn to him by his pheromones but hadn’t missed a chance to tell him that he was beautiful, hadn’t stopped admiring him when he shared information about his enterprise with him and offered himself to help him with his work.  
Eren had been protective and jealous and sweet and if Levi hadn’t had a stick up his ass when Mikasa visited them, he would have seen that the alpha adored and desired him, instead of feeling insecure and yelling at him for things he didn’t even remember anymore.

And now…

The omega breathed in deeply, hoping it would calm his hammering heart that pounded against the strong arms surrounding his chest.  
Eren must have felt it, didn’t chose to comment on it though and kept rubbing his nose on the crown of Levi’s head, inhaling his scent, feeling his warmth and the form of his small body against his own and the model felt himself grow restless, his gaze flying around, looking at everything and nothing.

“Eren, I –“  
“Shhh…”  
The cage around his frame grew tighter yet again, holding him closer but not being overwhelming or uncomfortable and Levi tried to remind himself of the disappointment he had felt mere moments ago, but stayed relaxed against his will in Eren’s arms instead, his scent filling with content.

“I’m not leaving…”, he was released from the alphas hold and gently turned around by his shoulders. “That is, if you want me to stay.”  
“But you –“  
“Shhh…”

Levi huffed indignantly, his eyes avoiding the young man in front of him who drew him closer again, wrapping him in his arms with a tender press of his chest against the omegas body.  
“You’re not playing fair, you know?”, he whispered close to Levi’s ear and the models head perked up, not interrupting the alpha. “You’re so god damn beautiful, you smell so good, I can’t even think straight.”  
Eren’s hand found his chin, cradling it and turning it upwards to look at him. “But you’re not honest with me. You don’t explain yourself. You just jump to conclusions and run away.”

The omega bit his bottom lip, as he had done so many times when he was uncertain or annoyed and the alpha grinned, before he tucked the models head back to his chest.  
“It sucks. I’m going to waddle behind you like a devoted dog no matter what, as long as you don’t kick me out, because you’re so fucking perfect that I can’t bring myself to leave you alone, even if you yell at me. But that’s not the way I want it to be. You know what I want, don’t you?”

A small nod that he rather felt on his skin than saw was the answer and Eren smiled down at the black, silky hair with fond eyes. “The thing is… I don’t know what you want. I don’t know what you expect of me, why you get pissed at me.”

Closing his eyes, the omega sighed into the heat of the body against him, not even disturbed by the fact that Eren explained himself in a way as if he was talking to a toddler, because the tall man was controlling him with his presence and his calm voice now, was so _alpha_ , that the model couldn’t do anything but revel in it.  
Levi’s hands found his back, pale fingers clutching in the fabric of the young man’s t-shirt and he buried his face deeper into Eren’s chest, before he finally forced a reply over his lips.  
“I’m sorry…”

The tall man hummed, his hand gliding into Levi’s hair, stroking and massaging his scalp with careful pressure.  
“I don’t want you to leave.”, he added, a small kiss on top of his head being Eren’s answer.  
“I was jealous.”  
“Why?”

Levi squirmed in Eren’s hold at the question, turning his head away, to avoid the alphas gaze at all cost and the tall man chuckled, his arms unrelenting. “No running away again, Levi.”  
He let himself be calmed by the soft vibrations below Eren’s ribs, sighing heavily. “You’re such a brat.”  
“Jealous because I’m such a brat?”  
“Fuck you!”, he managed to wiggle himself away a little, not escaping the tight hug completely but creating some space between them and looked up, to find a mischievous grin plastered over Eren’s face.

“Won’t you answer me Levi?”  
A huge hand found his cheek, stroking it with care as the smile on the alpha’s face faded, turned into a warm, soft expression that the model couldn’t bear to keep looking at.  
Turning his eyes away yet again, he cleared his throat, the words coming hesitant, filled just as much with uncertainty as the omegas scent. “I thought…”  
“Yes?”, Eren encouraged and Levi pressed his eyes closed.  
“… that you were mine.”

Another hum from the alpha reached his ears, gentle hands still carding through his black hair. Eren didn’t need an explanation, understood perfectly what the model was talking about. Levi hadn’t expected that someone else could steal his attention away from the omega, had thought that Eren’s eyes would always be on him.

It was hypocritical, Levi knew. Some part of him had wanted the alphas devotion, while his own hands had strayed, his body ending up in Erwin’s arms. Only now did he grasp how Eren must have felt about the whole ordeal, no matter if they didn’t know each other well or weren’t in any sort of exclusive relationship.  
The alphas pride must have taken a severe blow, watching what he considered a potential mate engaging with another person. A person who rejected the alpha and didn’t like him being the sprinkles on top of a cake made of shit.  
The whole situation mirrored what had happened with his ex with frightening similarity. There was bad blood between Levi and Mikasa, and she had snatched Eren’s focus away from Levi and if the model had any inclination in that direction didn’t matter. His dynamic had a mind of its own and didn’t like to share.

“I could be, but it’s not a one-way street, you know?”, his fingers left the models hair, playfully running down at the side of his neck. “We could try…”  
“I don’t… I’m not sure.”, his hesitation was palpable in his scent and his head turned sideways, offering more space to Eren’s hand to find comfort in his touch.  
It wasn’t like him to second guess himself, to struggle with decisions and they both knew it was still the omega in him speaking, distrustful after the nonexistent ‘betrayal’ of the alpha but Eren didn’t point it out, just kept stroking his neck with tender touches.  
“What are you worried about?”  
“I barely know you, brat. I’m still wondering if you will storm the shower one day to take nude pictures of me and run to sell them to the next best tabloid.”

The laugh that erupted from the alphas throat was loud, open and honest and he removed his hand from Levi’s skin – much to the omegas displeasure – to rub his eyes, that had grown wet from his outburst. “No, you’re not.”

No, he was not. He didn’t believe for a second, that the alpha would do anything to purposely harm him and he certainly wouldn’t share images of the omegas body with anyone but rather be a pain in the ass in the future, if Levi ever had to do a photo shoot with little clothing.  
But he had other things troubling him. Erwin and his blatant hostility for example.  
He might lose the manager or have to face a lot of shit in order to gain his acceptance, just to see where things would go with the alpha and it was hard to tell how difficult the blond man was going to make it for Eren.  
Erwin probably just needed to provoke him enough for the youngster to lose his shit, punch him and get a restraining order or end up being convicted in return.  
Besides that, he still had to deal with Mikasa who was aiming for god-knows-what by getting herself acquainted with Eren.  
The small man heaved a sigh, his shoulders dropping. “I need to think about it Eren…”

Muscular arms set him free and the alpha smiled when Levi searched for his eyes. “Okay, take your time.”  
He bend down, slowly to give the model a chance to retreat, patiently holding his gaze and Levi stared back, swallowing heavily, as Eren entered his personal space yet again.  
The press of his lips was soft, the kiss short but leaving a lingering feeling. Not a peck, not too indulgent either.

"Why aren't you angry with me?", the model whispered eventually, still staring at the alphas face and the tall man shrugged, a smile on his lips.  
"Guess I'm not one to hold grudges.", Eren answered with a grin and Levi snorted, before the alpha drew him close again to rest his head on top of soft, black hair. "You're an omega Levi. I don't have it in me. We're both new to this but... I don't want to fuck this up. So what if it's only been five days?" Eren's hand found Levi's dark strands again, brushing over his scalp with tender fingers. "I want to stay with you, and..."  
The alpha inhaled deeply and only now did the model realize that his body trembled slightly, that he kept him pressed close to avoid his gaze. A soft tingle in his nose, caused by Eren's scent tinged with anxiety had him hold the tall man tighter.  
Eren was nervous, frightened even and the omega wondered if it was the circumstances causing it or whatever he was about to say.  
"… and I don't care if it's weird or unconventional. One week of being worried about that almost drove me nuts." The alpha withdrew a little, looking down at the small man. "I can’t be mad at you, because I know it’s confusing and if it’s just dynamic and pheromones, then so be it. I’m tired of fighting it and I… I want to see where this leads.”  
The tips of Eren’s ears, peaking through the soft, brown strands of his hair, had turned just as red as his cheeks. “Just… If I’m alone with this… If you don’t want that, tell me before I make a fool out of myself…”

The omega nodded open mouthed, before he gathered himself and cleared his throat. Eren didn’t ask for much, but the message was clear. He had been fighting his instincts for days now, had suffered through the revelation that someone else had laid hands on Levi – on his omega – and endured the models pointless anger.  
For Eren, it was hard, because looking at it from the angle of their dynamic, everything Levi had done pointed at the omega rejecting the alpha in terms of their primal desires and it was only now, that the model saw that.

Combined with today’s social standards, that the young man had tried to uphold, it wasn’t surprising that Eren had held himself back, fight himself, that he had packed his stuff. He must have felt overwhelmed by his new urges – ridiculous even, like Levi himself – and didn’t know where the omega stood in all of this because the model hadn’t made an effort to clear things up.  
“I will, just let me think about it, ok? Don’t… don’t leave.”

Eren stepped away from him with a nod, shoving his hands into his pockets, looking a little lost suddenly as the alpha demeanor vanished within seconds, now that their conversation had come to a temporary result.  
“Guess I’m going to unpack then, hm?”, he grinned bashful and Levi rolled his eyes, snorting while he watched the alpha turn on his heels and head back to his room.

 

~~~

 

“ _I hate you. So, so much._ ”   
Eren chuckled into his cellphone before he replied with a playful voice. “Well thanks Armin, that’s exactly what I needed to hear.”   
“ _Oh come on! You are living with Levi and now you tell me that you kissed him in the open street and asked him to be your… boyfriend? Omega?_ ”   
“The kiss was more of an accident, you know?”, the alpha tried but his friend just groaned in response.   
“ _Well you certainly move fast. It hasn’t even been a full week since I left._ ”   
“Tell me about it…”

A brief moment of silence passed between them, before Armin sighed. “ _I’ve seen some articles in the newspaper. You were on TV as well._ ”   
Eren nodded, more to himself than his friend who couldn’t see the gesture. “That’s not even the tip of the iceberg. Living with him is… just plain crazy.”   
“ _Why? What’s going on? Too many paparazzi on your heels?_ ”   
“Yeah, and his manager. And his ex-wife. And… his fans.”   
“ _What are you talking about?_ ”

He contemplated for a second, wondering if he could let Armin in on a few things that had been going on in the last days. Sharing so much about Levi’s private life seemed wrong, something he should probably talk about with the omega first but then again, he was sort of losing his damn mind and had nobody to confide in.   
The last days had been cramped with difficult situations and encounters, filled with more drama then what Eren usually experienced within a year and Armin was his best friend, someone he trusted, someone who _always_ kept his mouth shut – someone who had signed the stupid nondisclosure agreement from Erwin anyways.

A sigh left his lips, as he willed himself to answer, after checking with a quick glance that the door to his room was closed. “Erwin… he hates me. Levi is sleeping with him, or... was sleeping with him. He punched me in the face.”   
“ _Oh my god…_ ”, he heard that the small blonde sucked in a breath, but he seemed too surprised to say more than that.   
“And Mikasa showed up here.”, Eren was pretty sure that his friend knew who he was talking about, since he was watching every god damn celebrity show in the universe 24/7. “She… I don’t know. It was weird. She kind of made a move on me? Levi got really pissed.”   
“ _Oh my god…_ ”, repeated Armin uselessly and the alpha rolled his eyes.   
“I also almost beat up a reporter, because Levi smelt distressed when he asked him a question which is why everyone knows my gender now and a million strangers are blowing up my social media pages. His fans hate me.”   
“ _Oh wow…_ ”   
“Armin!”

A startled, high pitched sound – or rather a girlish squeal, if Eren was honest – sounded through the phone. “ _Ah, sorry, sorry. It’s just… uh… a lot?_ ”   
“Really now…”, he deadpanned, and his friend groaned – again – before he continued.   
“ _So Levi and Erwin, huh_?”   
That was Armin for you – he hit right where it hurt like a bloodhound, shoving everything else to the side to go straight for the kill. “Well… sort of? I mean... they are not a couple…”   
“ _You’re ok?_ ”   
The alpha sighed. “Honestly… I felt as if someone had stabbed me in the gut when I smelt it, but I was here for three days and whatever they’ve got going on is their business. I’m basically a stranger to Levi and Erwin knows him for years and –”   
“ _Eren…_ ”, Armin murmured. “ _Are you ok?_ ”

Looking down at his free hand, he realized it was clenched to a tight fist and he closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “No… I’m losing hold on that alpha stuff. I just want to hurt that smug motherfucker. And I want to have Levi for myself, I want to…”, he cleared his throat nervously. “God, I want him. I just want to rip his clothes off and –”   
“ _Okay, okay! I think I get it!_ ”, his friend interrupted again, his voice a little too high and his words spilling out a little too fast for the usually calm man. “ _Just wait for his answer then, maybe you can have a piece of that ass if you show some patience for once._ ”

Eren scrunched up his nose at Armin’s crass words. “I kind of hoped for some real advice, you know?”   
“ _Well tough luck, I’m still gathering the pieces of my shattered heart!_ ”   
“Oh come on Armin…”   
“ _It’s not fair! I basically dreamed of having babies with that man since I hit puberty and now that I find out that it’s actually_ biologically _possible, he gets snatched away by my_ straight _best friend!_ ”   
He chuckled at that, sensing that Armin laid on a bit thicker than necessary and his dramatic outburst was rather for show than portraying his true emotions.   
“Forgive me dearest Armin. May I appease you with a portrait of the fair maiden you desire?”   
“ _You have any?_ ”, the blond man replied all too eager and Eren couldn’t stop a laugh from bubbling up in his throat and spilling over his lips. “Well, I can ask him for some pictures if you decide to help me out here.”   
“ _And how would I do that?_ ”

The alpha cleared his throat, fumbling with the hem of his t-shirt. He couldn’t tell how things were going to turn out with him and Levi and he was running head first into every situation, not knowing what happened to him and unable to prepare himself for whatever the omega pheromones did to his mind and body, but there was one thing he could try to take into his own hands. One thing – as unlikely as it seemed at the moment to ever work out – that wasn’t out of his control completely.

Armin was his best friend and he was pretty much the only person he could consult in the matter, considering the blond mans ‘ _preferences_ ’ when it came to his choice of partners. Not that the alpha knew if he ever had one, Armin was more of the blushing virgin kind of guy.   
“How do you seduce a guy?”   
“ _E-Eren!_ ”, he heard his friend sputter through the cellphone and ran a hand through his hair, while a nervous chuckle slipped from his mouth.   
“Come on, you’re gay. I’m a little lost here.”   
“ _I’m not an omega, Eren._ ”, Armin retorted and before the alpha could answer, he added “ _You really think_ that’s _the topic you should think about right now?_ ”

Heaving a sigh, his shoulders slumped. “Well, no but…” and he could almost _see_ how Armin was listening intently right now, visualized how his friend was holding his phone with both hands, pressing it as close to his ear as possible. “If I could just make him give me the smallest hint, just one little sign that he wants this…”   
Armin groaned for what felt like the hundreds time during their call, getting the gist of what Eren tried to say, because the alpha had no doubt that he would rip the models pants off as soon as he got any sign of approval from him. “ _Look that’s…_ ”

A nervous cough rang through the phone, followed by a few _uhm’s_ and _ehm’s_ that reminded the alpha of his conversation with Hange in the middle of Paris a few days ago, where he had tried to wiggle his way out of her embarrassing inquisition.   
The sound of his friend taking a deep breath signaled him that Armin was about to answer, before his words – as unsatisfying as a single drop of water in the desert – reached Eren’s ears.   
“ _You’re a guy yourself. What do you like? And you know Levi better than me and have that whole scent thing going on. I’m sorry but… I’m not sure I can help you there. I have no idea about omegas. Maybe you should… you know, ask the internet?_ ”, he mumbled and Eren could perfectly picture the blush that was probably creeping over Armin’s face, ears, neck, even shoulders right now.

“God, you’re useless…”   
Armin huffed a laugh, a swishing sound indicating, that he was shaking his head in amusement, his hair hitting the receiver of the phone. “ _I really don’t think that you should focus on that right now. If you’re so worried, try to find some literature on how to make omegas swoon over you, but it may be better to spend your time with sorting out your other responsibilities. Call your damn family, enroll for the next term and fix your horrible privacy settings on Facebook, before your wall makes their servers explode_.”

He couldn’t fully agree, wasn’t quite done with the topic but Armin was obviously not the person to ask for assistance in matters of the heart or…   
Well it was rather a matter of the body. He liked Levi, he truly did, and it wasn’t important to him any longer, if his fascination with the small man had been induced by his pheromones. Living with him had shown him a lot of aspects of the model’s life and personality already, despite the short time it had been.   
Still – nobody fell in love this easily, not at his age.   
He had a crush, yeah, that’s what it was.   
A crush paired with a wild desire to bend the omega over the next desk or spread him open against a wall, ever since he had smelt Levi’s arousal in front of the coffee store.

It was Eren’s turn to groan at his own thoughts and it wasn’t the first time that he wondered when exactly firm muscles and thin lips had become so appealing to him.   
_Fucking dynamic_.   
He had done a good job at pushing back his physical desires, even while he was holding the small man in his arms the previous night, but the omega seemed dead set on riling him up. Realizing that Levi felt possessive had almost made him pop a boner right then and there and that the signals he received where the complete opposite from what Levi said and seemed to think, started to give him a headache.

“I guess.”, he sighed noncommittally, pondering over their fight.   
He might be the alpha, but Levi was obviously the dominant one of the two of them while something in Eren told him to back down, to relent, to _please_ , no matter how angry he got, no matter how unfair the models behavior was.   
It had been Levi’s scent and demeanor, that had calmed the alpha earlier, had catapulted him out of his own worries and anger as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head, to solely focus on the small man, his thoughts and feelings.   
Omegas were scary, or maybe it was just Levi but one way or another, he was certain that he would see more irrational behavior and unfounded irritation in the future and he was beyond grateful that his instincts had kicked in and dissolved the situation.   
It almost reminded him of dealing with a woman. A ripped, grouchy woman with a deep voice and a cock.

Finishing his call, he did as his friend had told him despite his reluctance to focus on anything but the omega and worked his way through his social media accounts to stop new comments, posts and pictures from showing up. Cleaning through the existing ones was a task left for another day – he really didn’t feel like it after everything that had happened.   
He sent an e-mail to the student administration about taking a break for the next term. It was late but better than nothing and he knew that he wouldn’t set a foot into university anytime soon. Either he was going to stay with the omega, or he would have to admit himself to some sort of ward to get restrained, to avoid rampaging through the streets in full alpha mode.

The dramatic afternoon had flown by and now that he had somewhat cleared the air with Levi, it was silent in the house. No Hange, no Mikasa and Erwin was probably banned from the property for the moment as well. No yelling in the spacious apartment.   
Shuffling out of his room, he heard the soft clinking of pots and dishes in the kitchen and followed the noises, till he found the omega fussing about something simmering on the stove.   
He shouldn’t have expected otherwise. The small man was probably wallowing in self-hatred already for the hours he had wasted in the afternoon while he had locked himself up in his room and Levi seemed determined to make up for it now, judging by the pile of paper that was sitting next to the cutting board and received occasional glances between stirring in the pot and adding more ingredients.

“Hey…”   
The model turned in his direction when he greeted him and smiled – short but genuine. “Hey kiddo.”   
“What are you cooking?”   
His pale eyes flew back to the pot and looked at it while a frown spread in his features and it seemed almost as if he had to gather his thoughts before he answered. “Dinner?”   
“Uh…”, Eren stifled a laugh at the last second, his gaze still resting on the small man and it didn’t pass him by, that Levi looked tired and slightly hunched over. The day must have drained his energy more than he let on.

“Need help with… dinner? You don’t look as if you should handle a knife or hot cookware at the moment.”, he grinned, and Levi attempted to glare at him but failed miserably and ended up wearing some sort of adorable pout instead.   
“I can handle myself just fine, brat.”   
“I know…”, he whispered and stepped forward to pry the wooden spoon from Levi’s hand with gentle fingers. “Just let me help.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another chapter is ready! :)  
> It may not be the most exciting but, you know, we need to get some talking done and set up some stuff ;P
> 
> On a different note: I finished my [Avatar/Attack on Titan one shot! :D](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14725652)  
> It's not perfect since it's quite a lot of text and I wrote it really fast but it was fun to write and I'm quite happy with it - and would be even more happy if you give it some love and tell me what you think about this story and setting, because I consider writing more for this. Maybe a little one shot series? Gimme feedback my friends!!! :D
> 
> For those of you who are curious, I can already leave a little hint for the next chapter I'm working on at the moment. Let's just say: The courting begins! ;D  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for your lovely comments and kudos. I can't even begin to describe how happy your support and kindness makes me :')

“So, what’s up with the sudden interest in literature, handsome?”

Hange flopped down on his bed, while the young man emptied the two plastic bags full of books she had dropped on the desk in his bedroom and he thought that he should have probably seen it coming.  
That the physician hadn’t tried to ask any of her usual invasive questions when he called her to bring them, had seemed like a miracle and now that the wide selection of specialized books sat on the table, there was no way he’d get out of it, with Hange shooting him expectant looks while she occupied his mattress.  
Time to rip off the band aid and get it over with – at least she hadn’t asked him in the hallway while they shared their presence with a certain, vertically challenged model.

“I’m going to court Levi.”

The silence in his back wasn’t quite what he had expected and prompted him to turn around after a few seconds and only then – when he saw Hange stare at him with wide eyes, both hands raised to her mouth in surprise as if he had told her he was expecting – did she start to squeal.  
Something that sounded suspiciously like a “Hell, yes!!”, accompanied by Hange fist bumping the air.

“That’s my boy!”  
“Huh?”  
She scooted closer to the edge of the bed and raised her right hand and it took Eren embarrassingly long to realize what she expected of him, before he high-fived her with confusion written all over his face.  
Hange meant business though.  
“So you have questions about the courting?”  
“Eh…”

Shaking his head to gather himself and clear the bafflement about her unexpected behavior away – he really should’ve gotten used to it by now – he turned back to the books, shrugging in the next moment.  
“Well… everything, actually.”  
“Everything?”  
Eren picked up a volume, not really reading the title but dead set on staring at it instead of turning back to her in a pathetic attempt to hide his red cheeks, red ears, red _everything,_ as he mumbled an answer.  
“I don’t know a lot about omegas and… all that stuff…”

“Ooooh!”, cooed Hange and the alpha looked over his shoulder against better judgement, meeting her eyes, her wide, manic grin sending a shiver down his spine.  
“Someone needs a little sex ed?”  
Ugh, this was not the way he had wanted it to go but the physician just kept grinning – and staring – as if she had found an incredibly exciting new research project and Eren surrendered to the thought that he would have to have this incredibly awkward conversation now, if he wanted to make sure that Hange didn’t keep jumping him with the topic whenever they met, _wherever_ they met.

“I guess…”  
He sighed in defeat and dropped the book “Advanced Omega Sociology”, before he walked over and slumped down on the bed next to her and to his surprise, she didn’t start with the extreme graphic descriptions of omega sexuality, he had expected but a light pat on his shoulder.  
“Hey, no need to be nervous. It’s not like Levi has a clue either, eh?”

“You think?”, he looked up in time to see her nod and relaxed slightly.  
Right.  
You didn’t just stumble over an alpha in the super market these days. Apparently, an airport restroom was the way to go.  
“So what do you want to know?”

Rubbing his neck, he thought about her question for a moment, not knowing where to start. There were a lot of things he was uncertain about, considering the circumstances they were in.  
Should he follow his instincts and let nature run its course? It would probably be the easiest to let his dynamic do the job, but he wasn’t sure if something like that was appreciated by a modern-day omega. Levi took suppressants after all and didn’t just get hot and bothered if Eren spread some pheromones or growled at him.  
Besides, he had promised to give the small man time to think and was determined to keep his word. Courting the model meant to show him care and affection, not to pressure him – at least that’s what Eren had in mind.

Apart from that, he didn’t know a lot about omega behavior.  
What would Levi’s instincts tell him to do? Would he follow their lead or crush them as soon as they were on the rise?  
Would the alpha be able to pick up the signs, guided by his own dynamic?  
After all, only a day had passed since Levi had apologized and assured Eren that the model wanted him to stay while his actions had sent a completely different message. Or probably they hadn’t, were just not driven by his dynamic, the behavior of a normal man in his twenties, not the pheromone induced acts Eren had begun to run through on autopilot.

And then there was this other matter…  
He felt himself flush just thinking about it and sighed nervously.  
Whatever Levi considered himself to be – gay or bisexual or attracted to unicorns for all Eren knew – he was obviously more in sync with his own dynamic and sexuality, relaxed and _experienced_.  
The young man had never felt any attraction towards another male, much less had any intimate contact with one besides the kisses he had shared with the omega and while the thought of that alone was intimidating enough already, he couldn’t even begin to fathom what would happen if he was losing himself in the moment, high on pheromones, all his attention single mindedly focused on fucking and claiming and breeding.

The physician gave an encouraging nod and what was probably supposed to be a calming smile but made her look like the Cashire Cat instead.  
“Come on, don’t be shy pretty boy.”  
“Alright, alright, fine!”  
Rolling his eyes, he turned to her fully, folding his limbs to sit cross-legged in front of her on the mattress and sighed again.  
“So the first thing I was wondering about is…”

 

~~~

 

Levi set the delicate china ware down in front of Erwin and took a seat, his own cup of tea resting between his fingers before he put it on the table.

It was awkward, to put it nicely and he was still slightly bewildered that the man had come here in the first place.  
Hange was expected. Despite his original plan to keep her out of his apartment as much as possible, she was a daily guest and the only positive thing left was, that she didn’t actually live here and spread chaos with her every step – She even took her shoes off and hung her coat now when she entered, thanks to Eren’s insistence to do so on her first visit.

He wasn’t upset about it, not really.  
Having her keep him company on the previous day, followed by messages to check in on him in the late evening had helped him to stop his moping and approach the alpha, even though it had been Eren who put an end to their fight and dropped some bombs while he was at it.

Saying that he waited for Hange to visit them again at the next day as soon as she got her ass out of her bed was exaggerated but it hadn’t surprised him either when she barreled through the door with two huge bags, a fucking cool box and her oversized purse that was out of fashion since _forever_.

Erwin though, had thrown him off, calm and composed as always as he walked behind her through the door and the model didn’t know what to do or say or feel, if he was pissed about his behavior, mad at him for calling Mikasa or impressed that he showed up here despite Levi telling him to fuck off on the previous day.

“Had a good laugh?”, he opened the conversation and his manager sighed, before he leaned forward to take the cup and lift it to his lips.  
“I might have been acting a bit rash, when I called her.”  
Well, at least he didn’t try to bullshit him with made up reasons about why he had sent her here.  
“You caused quite the commotion, eyebrows. Hope you’re happy.”, he answered with a blank face, his voice devoid of anger, just sounding tired and disappointed.  
He was so sick of fighting with Erwin every second day, but at least he had tried to keep it between them, since he couldn’t avoid the issue altogether. His manager though, had crossed a line by sending his ex-wife to his doorstep out of petty jealousy and if Levi had been a little more dramatic, he probably would have felt betrayed.

“I apologize”, the soft clink of the cup when Erwin put it down on the table again, was the only sound in the otherwise silent room as Levi stared at him, gauging if he even meant those words.  
“At least you didn’t punch me, hm?”  
The tall blond looked at him, seemed to weigh the words in his head for a moment, before he answered. “I’m not going to apologize to him.”

Levi shrugged at that. He hadn’t expected him to and judging by Eren’s behavior on the previous day in front of his manager, the alpha had forgotten the incident already, as if Erwin’s attack had been nothing memorable for the young man. More like the bite of a mosquito or an overeager aunt pinching his cheek.  
Part of him was actually grateful that he wouldn’t have to watch the two giants stand in front of each other, giving hands like toddlers in a kindergarten, forced by their parents to recite halfhearted apologies.

“This needs to stop Erwin.”  
Levi crossed his legs as he spoke, and there was no grand sign that gave away what Erwin thought, no widened eyes, no stiffening expression, just the slightest twitch of his features, before the model continued.  
“Eren lives here. He’s part of the team now. _I_ want him to be here.”  
“I’m only concerned, Levi.”  
“For me, or for yourself?”

His longtime friend averted his eyes for the first time, his shoulders not slumping down completely but dropping ever so slightly as if he was burdened with a heavy truth and the model sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose and couldn’t stop his voice from turning soft, despite his cruel words.  
The wish to comfort and to care was too deeply ingrained in his very nature.  
“I like him. I like his company and you can’t keep treating him like an enemy.”  
“Do you want him to– “  
“I don’t know!” Levi huffed a breath and shook his head. “I don’t know what I want to do, okay? But whatever it’s going to be, it’s not your decision to make, Erwin.”

The model leaned back in his chair, as silence settled between them and he wondered if his manager would finally let it go.  
It was his own fault, he knew.  
Knew, that he shouldn’t have slept with him, just to soothe the man’s worries and get himself a break from the constant bickering, because it had only served to agitate Erwin further in the end.  
It hadn’t been the first time they had engaged in sexual activities over the years but never before had another person been part of the equation.  
Erwin had felt threatened in some way, even if it wasn’t like him to admit that much and Levi had given him what he wanted, a sign that he was still special, still cherished and it had backfired horribly because the blond man had ended up believing, that he had some kind of say in Levi’s personal life now.

He didn’t. Levi didn’t love him, and he hadn’t slept with him because he wanted to convey something bigger than friendship, but because he liked the familiar intimacy, the stress relief and was naïve enough to believe for a moment, that Erwin would stop prancing around and marking his nonexistent territory with snarky remarks, hostile behavior and unnecessary interventions.

“Are we still a team, Erwin?”, he asked into the silence with a low but steady voice and the blond man looked at him thoughtfully, an expression that showed so much more than careful consideration.

Love and pain and deep devotion.

“Always, Levi.”, and the small man didn’t miss the telltale shimmer in Erwin’s eyes, got up from his armchair and closed the distance between them.  
“Thanks.”, he offered his hand and his manager took it with a light shake, before the omega leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. “For everything.”

 

~~~

 

“I’ve got something for you. You’re in for a real treat!”, babbled Hange, as she left Eren’s room with the alpha in tow and Levi’s eyes followed them when they crossed the living room.

Erwin had cried. Not openly and loud like a scorned woman, with a blotchy face and a dripping nose but in stoic silence, like most things he did. Just a few single tears, their traces wiped away within seconds and Levi hadn’t known what to do with himself while he had watched the blond giant from his seat.  
Now it almost seemed, as if it had never happened, the house noisy again with the physician’s obnoxious blabber filling the living area, Eren shuffling behind her like a timid little boy and Erwin cocking a brow at the scene unfolding in front of them.

What the giant plastic bags contained that she had dragged into the alphas room or what they had talked about, he probably didn’t want to know, considering how flushed and embarrassed the young man looked while he stared at the ground in front of his feet, the woman absolutely oblivious to his demeanor when she disappeared in the hallway.

“Okay! Here we go!”  
She emerged from the corridor with her giant purse and the portable cooler box and Eren added another emotion into the mix that adorned his face – anxious confusion – while Hange started to dig through the contents of her bottomless bag.

The ‘graphic’ descriptions had happened, together with the display of pictures from some of the many books she had brought and Eren was about to swear right then and there, to never touch Levi again after a single look at them.  
Hange had assured him that it was all normal and natural and whatnot but for him, the images rather seemed to depict domestic violence, than alpha-omega mating.  
Just where did all these bruises and bite marks come from? Would Levi look the same if Eren ever laid a hand on him?

A few calming words from the physician had helped him to gather his bearings and detect the tingling sensation inside of him, that whispered of the model laid bare and carrying Eren’s marks, but it still wasn’t enough to convince him that the whole ordeal was desirable for an omega.  
Only when Hange declared that the submissive gender would want, would _expect_ to be marked did he make some sort of peace with the idea but the thought of tarnishing Levi’s beautiful alabaster skin and littler it with what looked like traces of violence, still didn’t sit right with him.

Thankfully, she didn’t just talk about fucking like rabbits and made him suffer through embarrassment but provided some actual tips in terms of courting.  
Eren would feel the pull to his potential mate even more, now that he had set his mind on it and she encouraged him to follow its lead, no matter if it made him act out of character.  
Providing for the submissive gender and fussing about Levi’s every move seemed to be expected and the physician advised him to roll with it, even if it might be extremely overbearing at first and could raise the omega’s hackles.  
Eventually, she assured him, Levi would catch on to what was going on and go along with it or refuse him.

That being said, he wasn’t sure what to expect when she looked up from the bag she had sat down on the coffee table, while he took a seat – in maximum distance to Erwin of course – and raised a white Tupperware box into the air.  
“Tadaaa!”

A snort coming from the other direction caught Eren's attention, even before Levi spoke.  
“You expect us to have x-ray vision, shitty glasses?”  
“Ah! Yes, of course!”, she adjusted her glasses absentmindedly, looking exactly like the crazy scientist she was and proceeded to open the lid of the box, extracting a small patch of something from it.

“Band-aids?”, asked Erwin and Hange shook her head, brimming with glee.  
“Gland-aids!”  
“Gland-aids…”, parroted Levi dryly, the physician nodding enthusiastically in response.  
“You see, it’s a band aid for –“  
“– scent glands.”, he deadpanned, finishing her sentence and Hange – still giddy with excitement – nodded again, her brown ponytail whipping up and down as her head moved and her face turned red, looking like an infatuated teenage girl meeting her crush, not a doctor providing… whatever it was she was providing.

“Exactly!”, she beamed, not the least bit fazed that Levi had barged in on her big reveal.  
“For you by the way.”, she dumped the tape back into the little container and closed it before she threw the box in Eren’s general direction and he caught it by leaping halfway over the couch.  
“You see, you put them here.”, she pointed at her own neck, where the most prominent of Eren’s glands would be. “And then you can leave the house. They contain Levi’s pheromones. The good stuff, or as good as it gets I guess, considering that I synthesized them from the swabs I got. He tends to be kind of unhappy when I do them.”  
The alpha cocked a brow, looking at her in disbelief and opened the Tupperware, taking a sniff in the next moment and a low, content sound rumbled from his chest.  
“Yeah, keep that closed. That stuff evaporates like nobody’s business.”

Levi frowned, not quite sure if he shared Hanges excitement, before his expression smoothed out when he realized that his dynamic and its unnecessary possessiveness kicked in.  
It didn’t matter, in fact it was good if Eren could be separated from him for a few hours or days since it would make working for him a lot easier and it wasn’t as if the alpha would just ditch him now. The supply of patches wasn’t endless anyways and he needed to stay if he wanted a new batch.  
No need to get all _omega_ about it.

“Levi?”  
He looked up when she addressed him, and she lifted the cooler again.  
“Can we talk alone?”  
“What?”  
Hange rolled her eyes, before she quickly glanced to Erwin and Eren, as if to give Levi some sort of hint what she was on to.  
“I know we’re all a happy family but I’m your physician and I’d like to speak to you – _alone_.”

Without waiting for an answer, she turned away and began to climb the stairs, cooler box and all and Levi jumped from his arm chair within milliseconds because no way, was he going to let her meander through his home by herself.

 

~~~

 

“What was that about?”  
He closed the door of his room behind himself, while Hange already busied herself with opening the container and removed one of her well known medical bags from it, to hand it to him without bothering to answer.

“New suppressants?”, he asked, and she shook her head.  
“Something else, seemed more important.”

Levi frowned for the umpteenth time today – it was a fucking miracle that he didn’t have a wrinkled forehead yet, being young and an omega or not – and raised his fingers to open the zipper but Hange’s hand was on top of the lid immediately, keeping it closed, a serious look on her face that was so atypical for her that he felt unsettled immediately.

“You can have a look when I’m gone.”  
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”, he snapped but she just grinned, immune to his abrasive antics.  
“Look, munchkin. We can do this now, you open the bag, look inside, then you get all pissy with me, throw some stuff and in the end, you’re still going to calm down, think about it properly and cry about the perfectly good vase you destroyed in the process”

Her hand left the lid of the small container, enabling him to open it if he so wished.  
“ _Or_ you listen to me for once, wait till I’m gone and have a look when nobody is around to tell you what to do.”  
She turned around again, lifting another item from the cooler that didn’t necessarily seem to belong there. A case covered in satin – he had seen the likes of it a million times.  
“Jewelry?”

“Not exactly.”  
She put the box on top of the medical bag he held, before she closed the cooler box and slung its strap over her shoulder.  
“Take your time and think about it. I did this to give you a choice. We never have to talk about it again if you don’t want to but if you use it, you _must_ tell me. I have to monitor your hormone level to know if it works as intended.”

The small omega answered with a startled nod and watched her opening the door.  
“Ah, one more thing. Put it in the fridge – as usual.”

 

~~~

 

Eren had cooked and Eren had cleaned the dishes and Eren had almost looked as if he wanted to spoon-feed Levi in between those two.

The Omega tried not to think about it too deeply, while he removed the medical bag and the satin case from the fridge and walked up the stairs.  
He had put it there soon after Hange had left his room, to discuss new requests and contracts with his manager and bid her and Erwin farewell for the day when all of them were up to date.  
Now, a few hours later, he couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer and wanted to know what the fuck she had given him, that demanded such a serious preamble.

Eren seemed to be busy for the moment, the door to his room closed and the model walked by on tippy toes, doing his best not to rise any attention, before he reached the upper floor and when he finally sat down on his own bed, he released a sigh of relief.  
His door was locked, Eren was busy and he was alone to face whatever was waiting for him in those small containers.

He reached for the satin case and unclasped its small latch. It looked delicate and expensive in stark contrast to the bag, that was sealed by a zipper, with bold writing hinting at its medical contents all over it.  
Opening the case, he furrowed his brows, looking at the handwritten note inside of it, sitting on top of a…

Levi took the item from the case to inspect it. A collar, from the looks of it, not covered in sequins and fake jewels as they usually looked these days on the rare occasion they were available online for female omegas, but simply black, made of thick leather, lined with soft padding on the inside and a lock on the back.

It would be impossible for Eren to bite through the material, no matter how strong his canines were, and Levi appreciated the sentiment that Hange hadn’t bought him some girlish crap but got something crafted that resembled his manhood.  
The big question was, if he was really going to wear it.

He picked up the note, a messily written piece of paper, filled with information on how to program the lock.  
Hange had opted for a fingerprint sensor, her own already programmed into the device in case that it needed to come off while he was unconscious or otherwise incapacitated – she was his physician after all – and before he knew it, he was already pushing the tiny buttons on the lock with the tip of a pen and pressed his own index finger onto the sensor while a red light flashed to indicate that it was scanning it.

Opening and closing the collar a few times, he tested that his modification was without faults, before he looked at the device and hesitated.  
He didn’t believe that he needed it.  
Eren was docile and friendly and despite their colliding dynamics, he wasn’t the type to act without Levi’s consent but the memories of the night when the alpha had attacked him in his sleepy state, were still fresh, only a few days old and their instinctive behavior became stronger by the hour.

Levi was an omega and while he didn’t consider himself weak, he was defenseless if Eren ever set his mind on overpowering him.  
All it needed, was one misstep. One mistake guided by pheromones and hormones and primal bullshit and it would be over.  
Levi’s chance to make a choice forever gone.

The lock snapped shut in his neck, as he put on the collar, knowing it was for the best.  
Despite him being the most affected by any unplanned incident, he didn’t just do it for himself.  
Eren would be devastated if he ever took something from him in the heat of the moment that couldn’t be repaired and Levi didn’t know _why_ he knew it, but he was certain that hurting his omega would throw the alpha into a spiral of guilt and shame he would have a hard time emerging from.

When a shaky sigh escaped from his lips, a breath rushing out he hadn’t known he was holding in, he set the satin case aside and reached for the medical bag.  
Unzipping it was easy enough, the look of syringes familiar but Hange had already told him that the drug inside wasn’t another suppressant but something with the potential to put him on edge.

His eyes wandered over the medicine, before they landed on the printout, embedded behind a clear layer of plastic at the inside of the lid, depicting some sort of schedule for regular blood tests and gland swaps below its bold headline.

“Contraceptive…”, he read aloud, staring at the letters for a few seconds, before the word sunk in and he slammed the lid down with sudden anger, about to throw the whole damn bag against the door.  
Fuck Hange and her fucking assumptions!

He jumped off the bed, pacing through the room for a short while, before he glared back at the case sitting on top of his mattress, as if he could turn it to ashes with his eyes alone.  
Why in the world would he need something like this? Male omega pregnancies were rare, even when his kind had still been around, and he never had any incidents in the past.  
Besides there were condoms and gels and whatnot and why would she even bother with _that_?

He bit his bottom lip, as he walked back to the bed, still frowning and trembling with anger as he looked into the open bag.  
What was she thinking? That he would fuck Eren? That he wouldn’t use protection or that the alpha had some kind of super sperm?

“Fuck!”  
He yanked one of the disposable syringes from the case as if it was guilty of everything that was wrong in the world and removed the wrapping, before he lifted his shirt and pressed the cannula to the bare skin of his abdomen.  
He didn’t need this shit! He absolutely didn’t, and he had no clue if he was pissed because of Hange’s audacity or the prickling pain that spread under his skin, when he rammed the short needle into his body or if he was actually just really pissed at himself for going along with her shit.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends :)  
> Hmm I wonder if I should start to make the chapters longer so that there is more stuff happening, because this one probably isn't one of the most exciting ones :D  
> The courting begins (with a little time jump in between but we'll see more of that so who cares :P) and our turtle doves realize that they can't stay holed up forever.
> 
> On a different note I reread some of the earlier chapters and found so many mistakes, typos, complete words missing and inconsistencies in the story that I got really upset about it *lol* I tried to fix a few things, certainly missed a million other things and I bet I have some really weird wording and sentence constructions going on since I don't know any better (Most of you know by now that I only learned English in school, from television and reading :D)  
> If anyone of you has too much free time and would like to help me out there or beta read for me to tell me what you think about upcoming chapters, let me know :) I'd be forever grateful, because I know how frustrating it can be to read a story I like, that is poorly crafted and full of 'linguistic errors' (and I kind of don't want that to happen with what I write :D)

Levi stared in confusion at the alpha in front of his door, while Eren looked at him with similar emotions flickering through his facial features.  
Following the injection, the model had finished his little temper tantrum a while ago, went downstairs and squeezed the medicine into the top shelf of the fridge, carefully hidden behind his and Eren’s suppressants and a wide range of bottles and nasal sprays filled with scent blockers, inhibitors and the likes.  
He should probably think about investing into another cooler to keep their drugs separated from their food.

Still no Eren in sight, he had returned to his room eventually to relax in his bed, while he read over a few proposals.  
It was about an hour later, that a knock on the door, that sounded suspiciously like someone banging his foot against the wooden board, had shredded his mildly successful efforts to focus on the paperwork in his hands.

“What are you –“  
“What is –“  
They had started talking in the very same second and stopped immediately, while Eren gaped at Levi’s latest ‘accessory’ and the omega eyed the young man in return – or rather tried to look at what was visible of him, considering that Eren carried a shit load of stuff in his arms, building a pile that he barely managed to peek over.

“What is that thing around your neck?”, asked the alpha eventually, getting over the surprise more quickly. Levi raised his right hand with a light frown, his left still holding the door open and the tips of his fingers grazed the smooth leather, he had already forgotten about.  
“A collar.”, his hand dropped back to his side, as he looked expectantly at Eren, who’s questioning gaze didn’t dwindle while he repeated Levi’s words.  
“A collar.”  
“Yes.”

A thin furrow appeared between brown eyebrows and the alpha cocked his head like a puppy caught between confusion and curiosity. “Why?”  
The small man heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. It was fairly obvious why he was wearing it and he was certain that Eren knew what that thing was supposed to do but apparently, the alpha wanted Levi to spell it out for him. “To protect my glands. It’s a collar for omegas.”  
“From me?”, replied the young man immediately, only focused on the first part of Levi’s answer and the omega shrugged, folding his arms in front of his chest.  
“Yes… No. From both of us, I guess.”

Eren’s face fell and his gaze dropped to the ground, his shoulders slumping in the very same moment and Levi only realized that he had stepped forward instinctively upon seeing the crestfallen expression, when the alpha met his eyes again.  
“Just to…”, the omega waved with his hand in a helpless gesture, “… be safe? We don’t know what my pheromones will do to you, right? I don’t want either of us to do something in the heat of the moment that we regret later.”

The tall man furrowed his brows again, but his head perked up visibly and Levi bit his bottom lip, internally cursing himself already for his poor choice of words.  
“Heat of the moment…?”, murmured the alpha and the omega groaned, pointing at the cargo in Eren’s hands.  
“Forget it. What’s up with that shit? Why are you carrying half my household around?”

“Huh?”, Eren’s gaze followed the direction of Levi’s hand, before he looked at the items in his arms he seemingly had forgotten about – not unlikely, considering that he would barely feel their weight – and his eyes widened in recognition. “Oh!”  
He thrust his arms forward in the next second, trying to hand the pile to Levi and the bewildered look on the small man’s face prompted him to explain his offering.  
“It’s for you!”

An amused huff slipped from Levi’s lips, while he inspected the items. “I gathered that much, but why are you bringing me… bedding?”  
He plucked a small pillow from Eren’s arms that he knew from his couch, already spotting another that originated from the alphas room, judging by the color, and identified a few blankets from various parts of the house soon after.  
“I do have my own, you know?”  
Turning halfway, he nodded towards his bed, buried below an excessive amount of covers and cushions.

“Ah… yeah, but…”  
Eren’s eyes darted every which way, never lingering anywhere too long while he pointedly avoided to look at the omega in front of him.  
“Spit it out, brat.”    
“They…”, a light blush began to dust Eren’s cheeks, when he looked back at the assortment in his arms with big, green eyes and his scent shifted little by little – nervous, shy, uncertain. “… are softer?”

And Levi? Levi froze.  
Not because Eren had come forward with a mind-blowing revelation, but because something hot and foreign surged up inside of him, the moment he wanted to make a snappy comment at the alpha to reprimand him for this nonsense, and it forced him to swallow the words on the tip of his tongue.  
“ _Oh…_ ”  
The omega frowned, suddenly looking a little lost, with his eyes wandering around aimlessly as he tried to get a grip on the strange emotions, pulsing through his veins and Eren’s face fell yet again, as soon as he got a whiff of Levi’s scent.

“You don’t like them…”, he whispered, observing the models rigid form while the pure chaos that was Levi’s fragrance, tingled his nose.  
“Huh?”  
The small man looked up, his grey eyes wide and unfocused and Eren almost dropped the whole pile then and there to pull the omega into his arms, because he looked so small, so overwhelmed again –  the very picture of the man he had seen yesterday when Levi was lost in distress and hurt.

“Ah… no…”, mumbled the model before Eren could give in to the sudden urge and two small arms reached for the pile in the next moment, taking as much as Levi was able to stuff between them from the alphas hands, before the omega turned around and wobbled to his bed on shaky feet, muttering low words under his breath. “Just surprised…”

The alpha cocked his head, eyeing the omega carefully, because Levi didn’t look surprised, he looked shell-shocked and seemed lost in his own thoughts, when he put the pillows and blankets down with careful motions and began to include them into the existing arrangement as if he was running on autopilot.

By the time Levi had doubled the number of cushions, leaning against the headboard, he seemed to have gathered himself a little, still looked a bit out of it though and Eren – still standing by the door like a lost sheep – cleared his throat to gain the omegas attention.  
“Well… I’ll leave you to it then?”  
He received a silent nod, the model still pushing fabric and pillows around, following a system only he understood, and the alpha lingered a little longer, before he gave up on hoping for a more elaborate response and turned around to take his leave.

He had already stepped away from the entrance, was two or three meters down the corridor when a soft, deep voice reached his ears through the open door and brought him to a halt.  
“Thank you, Eren.”  
The alpha grinned, turned his head over his shoulder and smiled, beaming like the sun.  
“You’re welcome, Levi.”

 

~~~

 

 _Weird_.

Levi glared at his bedding with a mix of bafflement, annoyance and happiness.   
Now that he had his marbles together again, he couldn’t understand for the life of him, why he had taken the offering and added it to his bed but there was no way in hell, that he would remove it again – for reasons he tried not to dwell on.

Even if it meant that his carefully decorated house was missing pieces in every corner now.   
Even if the colors didn’t match the scheme in his room.   
Even if there was way too much stuff on the mattress now, barely leaving any place for the small man himself.

The omega frowned, folding his arms while he continued his one-sided staring contest but the pillows and blankets – obviously – wouldn’t budge or reveal some insight on why his personality had done a 180 as soon as Eren had explained the reason for rearranging his decor.

One exasperated sigh later, Levi decided to leave it be for now, left his room and shuffled down the stairs on bare feet, meeting Eren in the living room where he was…   
“What are you doing?”

Trying to look up, the alpha hit his head on the couch table he was currently occupied with, with a loud _thunk_ , before a sheepish grin spread on his lips and he rubbed his aching scalp.   
“Cleaning?”   
He raised his hand with the cloth he had used to wipe the shelf below the tabletop where Levi used to store some magazines and the remote control for the TV and the omega immediately squashed the flutter in his chest that tried to claw its way up his throat.   
He had had enough fuzzy bullshit for a day.

“Why?”   
His stern look seemed to catch Eren off guard and the alpha shrugged meekly, as he got to his feet.   
“You are so busy and since you can’t do your job properly because of me…”, he trailed off, before he grinned again. “I thought I could help you a little with the house. You’ve been drowning in paperwork and you can’t get out of here, you deserve some free time.”   
“I see.”

Levi’s noncommittal response didn’t discourage the alpha the least bit and before the model knew it, Eren perked up, with an ‘ _Ah!_ ’ on his lips and walked swiftly into the kitchen, reentering the living room only a few seconds later with a plate in his hand.   
“I made sandwiches!”   
“Sandwiches…”

His facial expression must have looked quite comical, since Levi had a hard time deciding if he was dumbfounded, amused or deeply concerned about Eren’s behavior.   
“Yes! I checked what we got in the fridge too. I can make some pasta later.”   
The alpha glanced at the clock on the wall quickly, completely oblivious to the small existential crisis Levi was going through and turned back to the model.   
“It’s only 4pm. Eat a bit now, you didn’t have lunch. I will start cooking in three or four hours?”

He thrust the plate into Levi’s hands, his own grabbing the model’s shoulders in the next moment to gently push him down into his armchair, before he buzzed off, softly humming a tune as he resumed his highly questionable cleaning activities.

Staring at the plate, then at Eren, then back at his plate with an open mouth, he began to wonder if the alpha had lost his mind, before he set the dish down with a shrug and took one of the sandwiches and lifted the upper slice of bread to get a look at the filling: serrano ham, parmigiano, dried tomatoes and rocket salad.   
Not bad.

He was about to take the first bite, when a slim item on the coffee table with a sticky note that read ‘ _Levi_ ’ caught his attention.   
“What’s up with that?”, he bit down into the bread and hummed with content when the flavors started to spread on his tongue, only now realizing how hungry he had been.   
If this was going to become a thing, he would have to watch Eren and his food preparation closely since he didn’t want to waste food by refusing it, but simply couldn’t stuff himself with every random dish, considering what his job was.

“That’s for you.”, answered the young man, as soon as he had turn around and got an idea of what Levi was talking about and the omega leaned forward, reaching for the small item after putting his sandwich down and turned it in his fingers, reading the tiny text on the tube. “Lip balm?”

Eren didn’t turn around this time, just shrugged while he wiped down the bookshelf. “You always bite your bottom lip. I thought it might be good.”   
Levi frowned, unprepared for the unexpected care before the alpha continued in an afterthought.   
“Don’t worry, it’s brand-new. I never used it.”

 

~~~

 

“ _He did WHAT?_ ”, yelled Hange before she started screaming with laughter and Levi moved the phone away from his head by a good half meter to safe his eardrum from permanent damage.   
“He…”   
The omega sighed deeply while his free hand rose to his forehead to massage it.   
“He tried to carry me to the toilet.”

Another laugh sounded through the telephone, half cackled, half grunted and loud enough to rival a starting fighter jet. “ _But why?!?”_   
“I told him that I need to piss?”, mumbled the model only to hear Hange roaring yet again.   
“He said he had just finished rubbing my feet and wanted them to stay relaxed!”, defended Levi in vain, as the physician was seriously losing her mind now upon hearing those words, unable to contain her obnoxious giggling that was only interrupted on the few occasions when she desperately tried to gasp for air.

“ _God, the man is hilarious!_ ”, was the first thing she finally forced out after another three minutes of fighting down her laughing fit.   
“He bought me a watch.”, continued the model, shaking his head, still in disbelief about the delivery he had received this morning, because as soon as he had opened the package, he had known. The brand, the collection, the _price_. “It’s a Glashütte.”   
“ _Oh my…_ ”, was all she said, not sounding all too surprised. “ _Did you like it?_ ”   
“What?”   
“ _If you liked it. Does it suit you?_ ”

Levi’s eyes narrowed, wondering if the god damn woman had even listened to what he was talking about. “Of course, I like it you fucking lunatic! That’s not the point! The watch is worth a few thousand bucks! Where did he even get that kind of money?!”   
“ _What are you complaining about? It’s a gift. You don’t question where a gift is coming from._ ”

A deep frown spread on Levi’s forehead as something clicked in place in his head. “You…”   
“ _Hmm…?_ ” answered Hange innocently and the model debated internally for a moment if he should bark at her or ask her for some new drugs to tame his suddenly skyrocketing blood pressure.   
“You gave him the money?!”   
“ _Perhaps…_ ” Levi could perfectly imagine how she shrugged nonchalantly. “ _But that’s my business, isn’t it? I’m not a loan shark, don’t worry about the kid._ ”

The omega released an indignant huff while his physician continued gleefully. “ _Besides, it’s not as if he could buy you a Hello Kitty watch and call it a day._ ”   
“If he would gift it to me, I would wear it.”, countered the model all to quickly and Hange chuckled in amusement.   
“ _Would you now?_ ”

Pausing for a moment, the omega mulled over his own words and the unsettling truth sunk in, because he _would_ wear it, even if it was the most hideous thing on the planet, which was something Levi Ackermann simply did _not_ do.   
“The point is –“, he tried to deflect, unwilling to confess this new discovery, “– that this has been going on for three days now! Something is wrong with him! He doesn’t stop pampering me like a baby!”

Hange groaned through the receiver, causing Levi to glare on instinct, pure muscle memory, even though she wasn’t in the same room with him.   
“ _Look, munchkin. I can’t do_ all _the work. Use that brilliant little brain of yours or – hey! I’ve got this super crazy idea! You could_ ask _him!_ ”

The glare intensified – currently directed at a potted plant, the poor thing would have wilted if it would have been able to detect the malicious gaze – and Levi was about to snap at her and give her a fucking big piece of his mind, when some noises in the background and a low baritone interrupted him.

“ _Yeah, it’s Levi._ ”   
Rustling noises filled his ear for a moment – probably Hange handing over her device – before Erwin’s voice sounded through the phone. “ _Levi?_ ”   
“In the flesh.”   
“ _Now I see why I couldn’t reach your phone. Listen, we’ve got something coming up that you should think about. I know you’re not taking any outside jobs at the moment but we’re kind of running short on time for the fall collection._ ”   
The model cursed as soon as Erwin had uttered the words. It was March, and while they still had a good chunk of time left for retail, the bigger chains and fashion houses wouldn’t wait till summer until they started to buy the selection for the upcoming seasons.

“ _The exhibition pieces are ready, but we need a few shots for display to make them believe us that we plan_ some _kind of marketing for this season, you’re the biggest selling point after all._ ”   
More rustling – of papers this time – sounded through the phone and the model bit his lips – They had been tasting of vanilla chap stick in the last three days.   
“ _We don’t have to go all out yet, but we need_ something. _We can’t do this at your place, but I could probably set everything up for hair and makeup in your apartment. I’m sure Petra wouldn’t mind. Then we could scoot to the set and back in a few hours, do everything in one go, perfume, clothes, your accessory line…_ ”

Levi hummed as he listened to his manager, eventually deciding to interrupt him. “Alright, I get it. I will talk to Eren and let you know.”   
He had to hand it to the man that he didn’t retort with one of his angry remarks about the brat, but stayed silent for a few seconds instead, before his heavy sigh rang in Levi’s ear. “ _Okay, whatever you think is best. But Levi… don’t take it too lightly. We’re going to have issues to sell to smaller shops if we don’t get any big fish before. They’re basing their orders on whatever the market leaders declare as trendy for the upcoming season. Don’t forget about all the jobs we need to keep safe, especially in production._ ”

Not answering, the model ended the call and leaned back into the mountain of pillows that had made their way into his bed three days ago.   
Three days of Eren catering to his every wish as if Levi had suddenly become handicapped, unable to take care of himself.

He exhaled a heavy sigh and opened the calendar on his phone, scrolling through a million deadlines, appointments for phone interviews and the likes, before he found a slot, four days from now, that would give him enough time to go through with it if Erwin managed to arrange everything else quickly enough.   
Then again, Petra was in Paris already – probably stuck somewhere in a hotel room and bored out of her mind – together with most parts of his new collections and they had gathered enough favors over the years to ready a set and book a photographer within hours.

Erwin was right.   
The model had insisted to keep the production local instead of producing in Asia for a much lower price and if the top dogs didn’t order his new pieces, they’d have issues with selling in retail as well and it would snowball from there.   
No orders for autumn meant no work for his employees and no sales, which would cause layoffs to keep the whole thing somewhat profitable and make things even more difficult to handle for the winter collection.

Eren _was_ important but so was his career, his brand, the people who worked their asses off for him in all sorts of areas and his own aspirations to be successful and creative.   
The alpha was obviously trying to gain his favor and his job was a massive part of the model’s life and identity.   
The sooner the brat understood that, the better, because there was no Levi the omega, without Levi the fashion icon.

 

~~~

 

Eren slammed the top of his laptop down when he heard a knock on the door and winced in the next moment, inspecting the abused device to see if it had shattered under his hands.   
A stupid move, really, as if Levi would jump through the door in the next second without waiting for his answer.   
Levi wasn’t Hange. Levi had manners and Levi didn’t _jump_. Levi gracefully strolled from A to B.

Sadly, his brain hadn’t managed to remind him of those facts in time, too occupied with being scared that his latest obsession with a certain YouTube channel would be found out – something that would be even more mortifying than explaining that he almost destroyed his notebook, because he couldn’t reign his strength in.

“One second!”   
He opened the laptop to make sure that it was still working and closed the browser, because if there was one thing he had learned from movies and bad comedy shows in the last decade, it was that devices started playing clips by themselves at the most unfortunate times on full volume, defying every technical obstacle or reason, to cause maximum embarrassment for their owner.

Going through the cringeworthy conversation about courting and mating with Hange three days ago had been horrible and he’d resorted to using Google to answer his questions from thereon, instead of giving her another call.   
Whatever her books couldn’t clarify, he searched online and his efforts had soon presented him with a channel, run by an actual alpha-omega couple who explained what was going on in their daily life’s and how it was influenced by their dynamics, but also talked about the more _delicate_ topics.

Nothing too graphic, nothing he should be shy about, since he had clearly vocalized his wish to be with the omega but being caught red handed, while he worked his way through the courting, aided by Google, didn’t make him look good either.   
Which omega would want an alpha who had no clue what he was doing?

He got up and shoved the few books that were spread out on top of the bed back into a plastic bag, still reflecting on the video he had been watching.   
The topics brought up in the clips weren’t perfectly applicable to his own situation.   
Levi was a male omega, probably the only one in the world and that alone rose more questions than it answered but he had seen the couple talk about quite a few things that had sounded familiar.

The increasing sensitivity to their partners scent, the difficulties to control their emotions and their instincts pushing through the longer they had stayed close to each other, as well as the constant pull, the increasing sexual attraction, the desire to care and protect and to own.   
Well and then, there was the whole issue with the bruises and bitemarks.

Eren had seen them talking about sex. Not explicitly but in a roundabout way and the fragile woman had looked a little battered in this specific clip, causing a massive flood of comments – assumedly from uneducated betas – who had called the male out on his violent behavior against his mate.   
The young alpha though, had seen something else.

Sure, there were bitemarks on every part of her skin that was revealed to the camera and bruises littered her body – her neck, her collarbones, even around her ankles that showed below a long skirt she wore that day, as if her partner had held them a little too tightly while they were at it – but all that Eren could focus on, was how she _glowed_.

Beautiful and happy and deeply content, as if the gods of fertility themselves had blessed her and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her and kept watching, kept being mesmerized, as she absentmindedly ran her fingers over hickeys and hematomas, as if she didn’t realize that she was doing it, with an expression that was so soft, so loving and grateful, that it stirred something inside of Eren as well.   
That look in her eyes – he wanted that. Wanted it for himself. Wanted Levi to gaze at him this way while he wore Eren’s marks.

He shook his head to disperse the thoughts, before he stepped to the door and opened it, to reveal a positively impatient Levi who was tapping both, his foot and the index finger of his right hand to display his waning will to wait.   
“Am I interrupting something?”   
Eren blushed, simultaneously shaking his head because Levi _had_ interrupted him but it hadn’t been what the omega seemed to think, considering the smug grin that spread on his face as he watched the alphas slipping expression.

Only a discreet sniff wiped the look off the omegas face, causing him to shrug instead because there was no heat, no arousal in the air, before he stepped forward to enter the room.   
“I need to talk to you.”

An audible gulp accompanied Eren’s tentative nod, a million thoughts filling his mind instantaneously.   
Had the moment come? Would Levi give him an answer, reach out for him and reward him for his courting?   
A look at his face caused Eren to furrow his brows, the omega not looking thoughtful and emotional at all but stern and all business.

“I need to work in a few days. Outside.”   
“Oh…”   
It took him a few seconds to grasp the meaning of those words, his mind still wandering, busy with different matters, different _questions_ that seemed far more important, worthier to talk about and be answered.   
“That means we need to separate. I’ll go out for a few hours and you stay here.”

“What?”   
His head snapped up and there it was, that soft look.   
Not like the omega in his video clips, not adoring and worshipping but pulling at his heartstrings nevertheless – gentle, kind and understanding.   
“I know it’s not going to be easy, but a lot of people and their jobs depend on me, brat. You’ve got the band… the gland-aids, right? Can you manage a few hours?”

Of course he could, probably even without Hange’s witchcraft. He had left the house before for a few hours, to stroll through the city with the physician when Levi and his manager had needed to ‘ _talk_ ’ and he had felt fine but that didn’t stop his scent from turning foul now. The mere thought of leaving Levi to his own devices felt like a sacrilege and the memory of what had happened the last time he had separated from the small man was like acid, corroding the fragile foundation of his sanity.   
“I would take you with me”, interrupted the model his darkening thoughts. “But it’s a photo shoot, there’ll be dozens of people and we can’t risk any problems or interruptions.”

“Problems?”   
The alpha frowned, stepping a little closer to the omega now and Levi cocked his head, his arms folded in front of him as he studied Eren’s face.   
“You’re getting more and more… sensitive. There will be a lot of people talking to me, _touching_ me, watching me pose and change and whatnot.”   
Levi rolled his eyes in a ‘ _See?_ ’ kind of fashion and the young man realized that the sound of a low rumble in his chest had started to ring through the air – unpleasant and upset and far from controlled and levelheaded.

“I really need to do this, Eren.”   
Opening his arms, the model stepped forward and the alpha closed the distance without a second thought to embrace him, as if an invisible magnet pulled him towards the small man.   
“Can I scent mark you before you leave?”   
Levi chuckled, rubbing his cheek on Eren’s chest. “Nobody will be able to smell it.”   
“Can I?”

Turning his head upwards, the omega examined his face, his hands still holding on to the fabric in Eren’s back, before he gave a weak nod and continued to nuzzle the broad chest in front of him.   
“Sure, brat.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's notebook died spectacularly? :D Screen broken, battery not charging anymore, randomly turning off on its own - I swear I'm surprised it didn't start to smoke suddenly as well. That being said, I wrote this down rather quickly when I was finally able to, hence it may lack a bit in quality, cause I didn't have time to ponder about everything for a while and rework the bits and pieces. I really didn't want to wait any longer with an update.  
> The day of the shooting comes and it seems as if things aren't going to go the way they were planned but before that happens, Levi is having a bit of alone time to think about the whole situation.  
> Enjoy! :)

Working through an endless list of outfits to decide which ones should be photographed, wasn’t exactly Levi’s favorite part of putting his collection together. It was too fucking late – or early, as he realized with a tired grimace when he looked at the time – but he hadn’t made as much progress in the last two days as he had hoped.  
Too many last minute changes, missing accessories, wrong shoe deliveries, not to mention that he couldn’t get his makeup or hairstyle changed if he wanted to save time during the photo shoot and whatever he was going to wear would have to work with one of the looks Petra had suggested after checking the exhibition pieces – speaking of which, he still needed to give her feedback which one he wanted her to apply.  
Whatever they threw together in the end would have to represent his brand, give a good idea of what his next collection was all about and entice consultants and shoppers of the biggest fashion houses to buy.

He dropped his tablet next to himself onto the bed, which had somehow turned into a giant mess during the last two days, with too many pillows and too many pictures and papers spread haphazardly on top of the covers.  
It looked just the way Levi felt – chaotic, unsystematic and in desperate need for some clean-up but the omega couldn’t bring himself to move, neither to tidy up his mattress nor to shower himself.

It could have been worse, he thought, because it wasn’t the first time he experienced stress in his life or had crunch time and despite the workload, he still ate properly, drank enough and slept an acceptable number of hours per day.  
All because of Eren.  
The alpha kept pampering him, cooked for him, joined him for his workouts in the morning, tried to make him gifts, to make him smile, tried to _please_.

And Levi hadn’t known what to do with that.

Bewilderment came first, concern second and only after his call with Hange two days ago, did he start to realize what exactly was going on – a theory that had soon be confirmed, the longer he watched the tall brunette throughout the day.

The small man looked at the watch on his slim wrist, its light weight barely noticeable, the thin, black leather of the strap perfectly matching his collar.  
A truly beautiful piece, that he wouldn’t have expected to be chosen by someone like Eren but then again, it wasn’t for the alpha. He had bought it with Levi in mind and picked a design that fit the omega and knowing who had given it to him was enough, no matter that the gift looked like any of the other hundred watches he owned – delicate, modern, weightless.  
He would never wear any of them again.

Knowing that Eren tried to court him was… weird – even with the alpha making a more modern approach by offering tokens of affection, helping out with daily chores and supporting the omega in his work instead of smothering him with his scent and luring him into physical contact.

It didn’t change what he was aiming for and while Eren had apparently made his piece with engaging with an almost stranger, driven by his dynamic, Levi wasn’t so sure if he felt the same way just yet.  
Courting was meant to woo him, to gain his acceptance for mating and breeding and forming a lifelong bond with the alpha. To become a pair, to start a family.

The end of their second week together was nearing, a short time for such a drastic commitment but Levi knew, that he wasn’t completely opposed to the idea. It was obvious in his actions, even if his mind was limping behind sometimes, not quite able to catch up.  
He considered himself approachable, despite his fame and his abrasive choice of words at times. People were drawn to him and felt comfortable in his proximity, something he attributed to his secondary gender, but never before had he opened up so effortlessly and fast to someone as to Eren and there were moments where it was hard to tell where his dynamic ended, and his own personality began.

If the alpha needed him, he offered himself on instinct, didn’t shy away from physical contact, hugged him and held him and wrapped him in his scent.  
He enjoyed his company, the young man being his complete opposite in so many aspects and Levi thought with a wry smile how fitting that was, considering their contrary nature.  
Turning soft and pliant happened almost automatically with Eren, something the omega certainly wouldn’t do if it wasn’t for his dynamic but he didn’t mind it either.

All things considered, he knew that he wanted what the alpha offered him to some degree and he didn’t care if it was cliché and stereotypical and old fashioned.  
Levi wanted a mate, he wanted a family one day and while the collar and contraceptives seemed to contradict the notion, he thought that it only showed just how aware he was of Eren’s presence and how dangerously easy it would be to reach out and give in.

He had once thought that he could have that with Erwin. The stupid idea of a stupid young man who had wished for something that didn’t seem possible for someone like him.  
Dating, searching for a partner and starting a family would have revealed his gender to the world – something he had avoided his whole life, since he wanted to draw attention with his work, not his freaky dynamic – but Erwin had always been there. Devoted and trustworthy and discreet and while their relationship was born of necessity, it had developed into more.

It hadn’t developed into what Levi had hoped for though and as he grew older, he had come to realize that it wasn’t for him to keep his manager entangled in his one-sided crush, only to fulfill his own dreams of having children one day.  
Still, he had casually kept going for far too long.

Levi didn’t love Eren either, not yet anyways.  
He… liked him though and the combination of their genders served to spark something between them that had been missing in his relationship with Erwin. Something, that really drew him to the alpha, easily coaxed him into instinctual behavior and helped to break boundaries that might have been untouchable otherwise.  
Would he have offered Eren to live with him? Touch him? Kiss him? Accept his ridiculous pampering?  
Never – but his dynamic had paved the way.

If he could ever develop deeper feelings for the young man was probably a question better be left for another day. What he knew right now, in this very moment, was that he already craved Eren’s presence, that the thought of him leaving was unsettling, that the way he looked at Levi and curled around him during some nights made him feel safe and content and home, like nothing else ever had, but most importantly, he hadn’t rejected the courting.

It was that simple, a yes or no question, black or white.  
Eren was courting Levi and Levi let him and how he felt about the young man was important, not easily answered and would need time, but another, a huge part of him had obviously accepted already and waited patiently for the alphas next step.

Understanding that was just as relieving as it was frightening, because following his instincts and mating with Eren wouldn’t allow for testing the waters and he wouldn’t be able to leave Eren as he had left Mikasa, if things didn’t play out between them as they both hoped for.  
Bonding was for life, a separation straining and physically and psychologically painful and had to be considered with care, not under the influence of pheromones, done to relieve a horny alphas itch or sate an omega for a brief moment.

He could… try. Nothing was holding him back from having an experimental relationship and rolling through the sheets with the young man without getting bonded, but Levi wasn’t an idiot.  
He would raise expectations, just as he had unwillingly done with Erwin and it was hard to say how the alpha would handle a later rejection. Going too fast – and by god, they were going fast already – wasn’t fair, wasn’t the right thing to do with things already being so fragile as they tried to figure out how to deal with their dynamics and each other.

The omega would have to wait and see, and the thought alone was enough to make him huff in annoyance, when he rubbed his tired eyes and looked at the time again.  
He wouldn’t find any answers pondering in his bed and he needed to get up soon, if he wanted to start his morning routine as usual.  
A hug from Eren, he thought idly while he left the warmth of his pillow fortress and shuffled out of the room, would be nice as well.

He heard the alpha potter around in the kitchen when he went down the stairs. Eren had made it a habit in the last days to get up before him and start preparing a light breakfast for them, and Levi didn’t mind, since the young man had learned quickly to leave his kitchen spotless, just the way the model liked it.

Passing the living room on silent feet, bare as usual when he walked through his own home, he made his way into the kitchen and found Eren next to the fridge, the door of the cooler wide open while he probably assembled ingredients for whatever he wanted to cook.  
“Good morning…”

The alpha didn’t answer.  
He _stiffened_ and Levi frowned, slowly starting to pick up the scent of surprise and mild panic, that wafted through the room, before Eren turned around with wide eyes like a deer caught in the headlights and the omega managed to catch a glimpse of what had been hiding behind the brunettes wide back.  
He closed the distance within seconds, his fragrance filling with distrust and shame and he snatched the item from the counter, before he whirled around with narrowed eyes, boring into Eren’s.  
“What the fuck are you doing?”

 

~~~

 

 _Great_.  
Ten minutes into the day and Eren already faced his first major crisis, when Levi stomped through the kitchen and ripped his find from his fingers.

He hadn’t meant to snoop around, hadn’t meant to raise Levi’s hackles like that. The only thing he had wanted to do was preparing some god damn food for the omega and it wasn’t his fault that he had seen it, when he had opened the fridge and reached for his suppressants on the top shelf as he did every single morning.  
One white medical bag – Levi’s.  
One in black for Eren.  
A third one in black in the back.

The alpha had no clue if it had been there for a while or had been stored there only yesterday but he didn’t even question for a second that it was meant for him, considering that it was his color and that Hange had told him that she would prepare a new batch for him.

So he had taken it.  
Had opened it to take a look.  
Had stared at the content in confusion because the size of the syringes was wrong, just like the color of their content and only then had his eyes found the laminated label on the inside of the lid and his jaw had dropped in sudden understanding, because the bag was _not_ his.

Contraceptives for Levi – five tiny crosses scratching out the last days in a small calendar in the top of the bag and Eren had felt very lost, very suddenly.  
Was the omega seeing someone?  
It wouldn’t be the first time that the alpha was confronted with the evidence of some tête-á-tête, that the model had tried but failed to hide from him and he hadn’t received an answer from Levi that addressed the advances Eren had made, either.

Or was the answer staring him right in the face? Had Levi used the injections because he warmed up to him?  
The alpha couldn’t stop himself from drooping, as he reached his next conclusion that disappointed him almost as deeply as the idea that the model had found someone else.  
Levi didn’t want his children.

He had shaken his head, closing the lid again because some part of his mind had reminded him immediately just how stupid it was to think that way.  
They barely knew each other and while Eren had accepted that and had decided to try and build something more stable with the omega, that didn’t mean that he expected Levi to pop a kid out after nine months.  
The model had a job and responsibilities and they should learn more about each other before they thought about starting a family anyways and the part of him that was moody upon finding the injections was his irrational dynamic that couldn’t wait to start breeding the small man.

Even if Levi decided to accept his efforts and take him as a mate, they would need to take their time and it was the omegas decision what to do with his body, not Eren’s.  
Well, and then he had heard the tired greeting of said man and things had went downhill from there.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

He raised his hands in defense, shaking his head at the same time, while Levi opened the bag to check its content.  
“I’m sorry! I thought it was my new batch of suppressants.”, tried the alpha and the small man scrutinized him for a long moment, before he closed the bag and pushed it back into the fridge.  
Eren didn’t need to be a genius to gather, that Levi hadn’t wanted him to find the medicine as he closed the door a little too forcefully and Eren dropped his hands, before he stepped closer with another peace offering.  
“It doesn’t change anything.”  
“What?”

Levi lifted his head, looking confused and he smiled in return, taking another tentative step as if he was trying to get near a frightened animal.  
“I don’t… It’s your body, Levi.”  
The small man averted his eyes, his anger gone from one second to the other and stared at the ground before he shrugged meekly in sudden shyness. “That’s not the point.”  
“I don’t expect anything either.”  
He opened his arms and Levi hesitated only for a second, before he moved closer with slumped shoulders and Eren could envelope him in a tight hug.

Looking down at the silky black strands of hair, he debated with himself for a few long moments, before possessiveness and curiosity won out and he dropped his chin on Levi’s head. “They are… for me?”  
The omega didn’t answer, just shrugged while he hid his face in Eren’s chest and the alpha smiled, feeling as if he had won the lottery.

“I don’t expect anything.”, he repeated, not only to assure the small man but to remind his overeager self as well and felt a slow nod against his torso in return.  
“I would like to…”  
He stopped himself, rephrasing the sentence in his head. He wanted to be mindful and respect Levi’s boundaries – he was his own person and didn’t need to explain himself to Eren, courting or not – but he couldn’t help that he wanted the omega to be more honest with him either. “Wouldn’t it be good if we… could talk about these things openly?”

Levi sighed, shaking his head slowly, before his deep, mocking voice sounded through the kitchen.  
“Hey Eren, I may or may not be willing to do the deed with you. How about I take the ‘ _male pill_ ’ until I’ve decided?”  
“Okay, that sounds rather stupid.”, chuckled the alpha and the model huffed against his chest.  
“You’re right.”, he released the smaller man and cupped his cheek. “It’s none of my business. You do what you think is right until you know what you want, but…”, stroking his jaw carefully, the omega finally looked up, “…I don’t want you to think that you need to hide something from me. There’s no need to panic over stuff like that, okay?”

“Okay.”  
Eren smiled and looked down at the omega, before he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.  
At the end of the day, Levi couldn’t hide these things from him. Not by masking his scent, not by opening the windows, not by piling things in front of his medicine in the fridge and freaking out when Eren found it nevertheless and the alpha thought, that it really wasn’t necessary either.  
He wanted Levi and they had come far in the few days they had spent together.  
Whatever decisions the omega made were his own and he shouldn’t feel insecure about them – the alpha would desire and adore him all the same.

 

~~~

 

“Ready for the big day?”, asked Petra with a smile before she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  
The time up to the photo shoot hat passed in a flash and Levi’s house was buzzing with people now, who filled his living room and made his skin crawl with the knowledge that they could touch every. single. thing. in his home.

He wasn’t able to comprehend just why there were so many attendants needed when all he wanted to do was getting his makeup and hair done, but then again, he usually didn’t understand what half of the people on a set did, despite his long experience in the industry.  
There was probably a good reason for Erwin to invite them here, before they left to get to the set – at least that’s what he concluded when he watched two bulky man carrying a few spotlights into his living room and setting them up next to the table where Petra’s cases were sitting.  
Right, she needed to see how her work turned out with professional lighting, not soothing, ambient sunshine that fell through the windows.

He answered with a low grunt, before he followed her and sat down on a chair that had been placed in front of the table, while she began to open her giant makeup kits. He usually traveled with less baggage than what she had hurled into his apartment a short while ago.

Eren wasn’t far, sitting on the couch, uneasy and fidgety as he looked at everything and nothing, his bent leg bouncing up and down while he was tapping his foot nervously on the wooden floor.  
What bothered him though, were not the people that invaded their space but the prospect of Levi leaving the house without him soon.  
He had explained the model time and time again just how deeply wrong it felt to separate from him, and the omega had learned that it wasn’t out of worry that he wouldn’t be able to control himself without Levi’s presence. It was the feeling to abandon him, to leave him defenseless and alone – something his alpha dynamic couldn’t make peace with.

Still, Levi would have to go and Eren knew it, did his best to keep his mouth shut and flashed an encouraging smile whenever the model looked at him.  
He tried, so Levi would try as well. He would get as much done in his own home and rush through the whole photo session as quickly as possible to return to the alpha and soothe his instincts.  
Knowing that he was upsetting the young man, felt horrible and he had told Eren as much, jokingly mentioning, that his own dynamic was reacting just as unsettled – quote: like a little bitch – as the brunettes.

He had removed the collar in the morning, considering that he couldn’t be wearing it on the pictures and Petra needed to be able to apply makeup on his neck, and he hadn’t wanted to give anyone ideas by taking it off later, when his house was filled with guests.  
The less people knew, the better – he had been faring well with this strategy for years and didn’t want to give his dynamic away by making stupid mistakes now.

When she applied foundation around his Adams apple to assure that the color of his neck matched his face, he couldn’t suppress a small grin, knowing that she would have to fix it up again later. He had promised Eren to be scent marked by him and was fairly certain that not himself, but the alpha would wear most of the makeup on his throat when they were done with rubbing pheromones all over each other.

His eyes searched for Eren’s and the brunette perked up when he became aware of Levi’s gaze.  
Somehow… he looked forward to it, no matter if it was stupid and nobody else would be able to sense it.  
Wearing the alphas scent on his skin felt calming and relaxing and he already smelt how his own fragrance grew heavier with longing, the traces of roses and lilies suddenly beginning to fill out the whole room and muting the onslaught of beta odor that had begun to settle around them.

Eren cocked his head and his eyes widened, and Levi could see from the distance how his cheeks turned pink from sudden heat.  
All the more reason for him to wink at the tall man, when Petra turned around and rummaged through her assortment of concealers and he almost snorted, when it caused Eren’s eyebrows to shoot up to his hairline.  
He really was like a giant puppy at times.

“Everything okay?”  
His head snapped back to Petra and he nodded, his mouth twitching, a smile tugging at his lips, because Eren’s own scent tingled his nose now. Content and happy and way too pleased with himself, but Levi didn’t yell through the room that he got some fucking nerve and enjoyed knowing, that the alpha was momentarily distracted from his gloomy thoughts instead.

Getting ready was over surprisingly fast.  
He had gotten used to sitting in chairs and waiting for his hair and face to be done since years, barely feeling how the time passed anymore.  
Sometimes he was reading, sometimes he was on his phone and today he chatted lightly with the strawberry blonde woman, who was smart enough not to ask for specific reasons as to why exactly she was doing all of this in his apartment and not on a set.

He got up from his stool, tissues still in place all around the collar of his shirt, and inspected the result before he mimicked a faux kiss on her cheek without touching her skin to keep his makeup untouched.  
“We’re ready here!”  
Erwin looked up from his place at the other end of the room where he was currently discussing something with yet another unknown person and nodded. “Great, thanks Petra. Alright wrap it up.”

Lights were demounted, folders collected, and chairs and tables moved back to their original location and within minutes, his living room was empty, save for his manager, a nervous alpha and a mad scientist.

“I’ll bring you to the door.”  
Levi frowned just like Erwin and Hange, and Eren rubbed the back of his neck, while a fresh blush blossomed on his cheeks.  
“I need to be sure that you’re safe. In the car?”  
"You need to _watch_ me getting into a car?", he huffed, shaking his head when Erwin came to the rescue, completely unsuspected and out of character.  
“It should be fine. I called the police earlier to clear the street, there was quite an assembly when we arrived.”

“We’ll leave you to it!”, added Hange with a wide grin, before she dragged Erwin to the hallway and he listened to the rustling of their jackets a few seconds later.  
“So…” Eren looked at him, before he stared at the ground again, a sheepish expression on his face and a shy posture shrinking his large frame.  
“Come here…”

The alpha smiled, when he raised his head, Levi’s arms wide open, already waiting for him and Eren stepped into the embrace without a second thought, leaning down, pressing their bodies together, wrapping himself around the omega, before his neck touched Levi’s and a sharp gasp sounded from their lips as soon as their skin touched.

“God, Levi…”  
Eren’s voice was rough, as if he had just left his bed after a long night of sleep and the thought, combined with the pheromones that penetrated his glands, stole a low moan from the model’s lips.  
It was good. So, so good and he felt himself lean in more, tilting his head further while the alpha rubbed his neck on him with abandon and the sound of their quickening breath filled the air.

It hadn’t been like this before.  
Levi remembered how Eren had scent marked him when they had first come here, but the sensation had been different, not as decadent and alluring, just assuring and comforting, but now that he had opened his mind to the idea to pair with the alpha, he seemed to be so much more receptive to the intimate act of affection and possession.

Eren wanted the world to know, that Levi was his and it didn’t matter that the world wouldn’t smell it, because he would.  
He would know, would sense it all day long, the alphas musk heavy on his skin, the ghost of his touch still sensible and Levi realized too late, that his own fragrance had spiked, willing and enticing. “Eren…”

His hands fisted the fabric on the brunette’s broad chest, trying to push him off, as he felt himself hardening in his pants and Eren groaned, picking up the first traces of arousal hidden beneath roses and lilies and his own scent grew heavier in turn.  
“Eren, stop. I will…”  
Levi's pants became damp. Not quite wetting his underwear yet but getting closer by the minute and he shoved the alpha away in a last, desperate attempt to keep his composure, before he was going to soil his clothes completely.

“Levi?”  
Eren looked at him, unfocused and confused, not understanding why the omega rejected him when his scent told him how willing he was, and it took him quite a few moments to shake the daze off, before he cursed, and the feverish glaze vanished from his eyes.  
“Shit! Sorry! I’m so sorry, Levi!”

“It’s… it’s fine…”  
The small man flushed, thankful for the shit-ton of crap, Petra had smeared on his face that certainly hid the color on his cheeks and he only realized that he had started to gnaw on his bottom lip again, when Eren reached out and ran his thumb over it, removing the last pathetic traces of gloss he had worn.

“Come back to me, as fast as you can…”  
“Yes.”  
He stretched himself on tippy-toes, cupping the alphas neck to pull him down and Eren’s pleased sigh got swallowed by his chaste kiss, before he removed himself from the tall man and turned around in a jerky movement.  
It was Eren, always Eren who initiated it when their mouths came together and he didn’t feel up to the knowing grin, even less the possible comment that the alpha could throw at him for his indulgence.

“I need to go.”  
He hastily walked to the hallway, the brunette behind him and Levi felt instantly on edge when he saw Erwin’s cocked brow and Hange’s wide grin.  
“What?!”  
“You look a little…”, began his manager before Hange interrupted him.  
“Fucked out!”  
The small man glared at her and Erwin rolled his eyes, before he stepped closer and began to fix Levi’s hair. “… disheveled, was what I thought.”

Exhaling in a huff, the omega accepted his fate and waited for Erwin to adjust his now chaotic strands. An act that might have seemed intimate but wasn’t at the same time and Levi didn’t have it in him to swat his friends hand away. Not after their previous conversation, not when Erwin seemed set on trying his best, didn’t make snarky comments towards Eren and kept a stoic expression while he worked through the remnants of what had obviously been a very physical encounter with the alpha.  
Normalcy, thought Levi. The manager just tried to behave as if nothing was out of the ordinary, as if the omega didn’t need to feel guilty to confront his friend with the fact that there was skin ship between him and Eren.

When he was finished, and Levi had slipped into his shoes, Erwin stepped back while Eren walked the last meter to the entrance and opened it to send them off.  
The model was about to cross the threshold, his eyes still on the alpha on his side, before he turned around to walk down the stairs and stopped immediately as the opening door revealed loud noises and the sight of a multitude of people standing on the street in front of his house.  
“What the fuck?”

Eren’s hand was on his shoulder in an instant, holding him back from descending the stairs further, while their eyes scanned the large group of spectators, some of them holding handmade posters with love declarations for Levi into the air, while others showed not so subtle messages, implying that the alpha should get lost, leave the country or die on the spot.

The police patrol that had been meant to clear the area – two lazy idiots that looked like they ate too much shit and did too little sport –, had apparently decided that it wasn’t worth the effort and stood in front of his fence, merely assuring that none of the unbidden visitors stepped on the short, small path that led up to the stairs in front of the door.

“Hey you! Get those people off the street. What is this, a fucking rally?”, yelled the omega, making another step forward while he fixed the officials with his glare and gained everyone’s attention in turn.  
Eren’s hand didn’t leave his shoulder, the alpha following after him on his own accord without even thinking about it and the moment Levi raised his voice, he felt a million eyes on himself, before fingers pointed at him and the noise around them increased tenfold, slurs and threats about his filthy dynamic filling the air.

“Levi, I…”  
The model didn’t listen to him, didn’t listen to Erwin and Hange either, who had left through the door behind them as well now, just made another step down the stairs with an expression so angry as if he tried to combust the people in front of him with his gaze alone.  
“Shut up!”, the omegas voice was drowned out as he yelled at the mix of fans and followers of anti-alpha movements, only to be ignored and the tall man followed after him to put an end to his fit and tell him goodbye, unwilling to cause an even bigger scene for the model, before he felt the impact of something soft on his chest and paused.

Levi’s head snapped to his side, his eyes wide as he watched how the goo dripped down from Eren’s shirt, while the alpha just looked taken aback, a strange emotion creeping into his face, insecure and hurt.  
“Did they throw a fucking _tomato_ at you?”  
“Levi it’s o–“  
“What the fuck is wrong with these people?”, he turned to the young man, about to lift a hand to Eren’s shirt to inspect the damage, when another projectile, aimed at the alpha, hit Levi in the back and almost made him stumble forward, now that he suddenly stood in front of the taller man.

“What the _fuck_!”  
The omega turned around, a few shocked gasps sounding from the crowd, when they realized that the ‘wrong’ person had taken the hit and Levi twisted his back this way and that, before he got a look at the slimy remnants of an egg.  
“Are you fucking _INSANE_?”  
His voice was so loud, pissed beyond reason now, that it finally silenced a part of the assembly on the street and only when the noise had slightly died down, did Levi realize that everyone behind him had fallen silent, except for a low feral growl that sounded in Levi’s back.

He turned around, to cast an alarmed look at the alpha, who stared at the crowd, his body tense, tendons and veins showing on his arms and neck as if he was a predator in the wild, sitting in the brush while he stared at his prey and waited for the right moment to strike with every nerve, every muscle in his body on edge.  
Levi tried to take one of Eren’s hands that had clenched into fists at his sides, knuckles showing white through taut skin, but he knew it was too late, when the alpha made a step forward and Hange tried to drag Erwin back through the door by his arm with sudden terror in her eyes.  
“ _Shit_ …”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends! I know I ended on a mean cliffhanger, so let's continue right away ;D  
> Formatting this chapter took me almost longer than writing it since ao3 removed/changed all my editing when I pasted the text in here :'(  
> I hope I'll find a better solution than redoing all the formatting in the future.
> 
> I want to thank everyone for all the love I received here. 440 Kudos - I almost can't believe it and your sweet comments always make my day. Thank you for the journey so far, I hope you'll keep enjoying to read this story just as much as I enjoy writing it. :')
> 
> Little hint for the next chapter: Yes, it's happening - If you know what I mean. Wink, wink.

It was too much.  
Being hit by a rotten piece of vegetable had surprised him and somewhat hurt him emotionally but it hadn’t bothered Eren the same way as when Levi had been at the receiving end of an attack, while the models body still smelt of faint arousal, mixed with anger and stress, caused by the sudden development.  
Levi was his omega, his to protect and the multitude of feelings that had hit him like a truck as he watched the small man tumble forward and curse at the slime on his back, short-circuited his brain and made way for something ancient and primal that didn’t rely on words and consideration.

The alpha had moved, without thinking, just acting on instinct, fast and animalistic and without a single doubt in his mind and Levi yelped in surprise when the tall man pressed him to his wide, soiled chest, shielded the omega from the eyes of the crowd, his nose finding his neck automatically to smell on his gland, unseen by the spectators, while frightening growls kept clawing their way out of his throat, threatening everyone who dared to approach the model to face a fast, painful end by Eren’s hands.

The noises behind them grew louder again and Eren lifted his head but didn’t turn it over his shoulder to look at the crowd when the first thing that came into vision was Erwin, only a few steps ahead on the stairs, where Hange was desperately pulling on his arm.  
His eyes narrowed dangerously, his scent flared – unbeknownst to the blonde beta who kept staring back at him – and only when Eren spat a vicious snarl at who he conceived to be his rival, something inside him reminding him that Levi had once worn the blondes scent on his skin, did the tall man snap out of his stupor to be yanked through the open door by the physician, before the wooden board slammed shut behind them.

“Eren?”  
The alpha looked down at the small figure, pressed against his own body, but didn’t loosen his grip, not even when he heard steps in his back, voices yelling at him while he barely made out what they wanted, unable to think through the haze of aggression and protectiveness.

“I’m fine!”  
Levi had wiggled one of his arms out of Eren’s hold and waved it dismissively at whoever stood on the path between them and the crowd now, but it didn’t seem to have any effect and the omega tensed when he realized just who exactly was shouting orders at the alpha.

“Release Mr. Ackerman! Hands in the air, _NOW!!_ ”  
Fuck, fuck, fuck!  
Why did the police have to decide to start doing their job _now_?  
“I’m fine! Leave him alone!”  
Levi’s attempts to find a way out of Eren’s embrace without appearing like a struggling hostage became more desperate when he realized the full extent of the situation, but the alpha kept his arms around him in a vicelike grip, his growls and snarls sounding more and more vicious the closer the men came to them.

Eren would never let go of him as long as those dickheads continued to come closer to the omega and those fools, stupid and ignorant and _armed_ seemed dead set on ignoring him, determined to put the big bad wolf down, just because they didn’t _understand_ , just because they thought they knew better, while they didn’t know _shit_.

“ _STEP AWAY FROM THE MAN!_ ”  
“No! Leave him alone! _Go away!!_ ”  
The model felt panic rise in his stomach, his pulse began to slam in the back of his throat and his voice climbed higher and higher, as he screamed at the men to leave Eren the fuck alone, but it only caused the alpha to grow more and more tense as the onslaught of Levi’s emotions hit his nostrils.  
“No! _NO! EREN!_ ”  
He pushed against the wide chest, tried to get away from him, pleading cries falling from his lips, sudden tears pooling in his eyes, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t convince the men closing in on the alpha, his words falling on deaf ears. They would hurt him.

They would hurt him, and it was Levi’s fault because all Eren ever did was look out for him, instincts or not and nothing he did or said made a difference to the approaching police officers while the alpha shielded his body like a titanium wall, driven by a single goal – to keep him safe – not hearing Levi’s pleas or feeling the models pathetically weak fists that hit against his chest.

A loud snap cracked through the air, before Eren’s body spasmed violently but his hold on the omega didn’t slacken and his head flew around, sharp canines bared over his shoulder with a roar on his lips that promised pain for the men in his back, as Levi kept trashing in his arms.  
The shot of a second taser hit the alpha and his grip loosened, his limbs twitching without control now but still not giving in and he turned around, his movements slow but full of threats and the omega reached for his shirt, tried to hold him back, tears flowing freely, his screams hysteric now.

It felt surreal to the model how everything seemed to slow down when one of the two officers dropped the taser and reached for his gun, still bellowing orders at the alpha who ignored them and kept moving forward. The birds in the sky – grey and heavy with clouds – moved in slow motion, the shouting and yelling from the crowd reduced to buzzing background noises when he was about to leap forward, wanted to reach Eren in a pathetic attempt to push him to the ground, while in reality, the alpha would barely feel the impact in his back.

 

 

The door behind him flew open, before the officer could take aim and startled the man into a halt. Eren didn’t even recognize the incoming physician, focus still on the threat in front of him, as if he either hadn’t heard the bang when the door hit the wall of the hallway loudly or didn’t care about what happened behind him.

Hange was down the stairs within milliseconds, a syringe in her hand and she barely managed to duck away from Eren’s fist when he turned around and swung at her as soon as she had rammed the needle into his back.

Erwin ripped Levi away from the alpha’s proximity, the omega fighting his hold without a chance of escape, shouting, screaming, wailing as he watched the younger man slump down onto his knees, his body finally giving in, caused by whatever Hange had injected into him.

“Leave him the fuck alone! _EREN! Let me go! LET ME GO!!_ ”  
The frantic, high pitched screams of the omega went unheard, the door slamming closed again, as soon as Erwin had dragged him over the threshold and the last thing he saw was Eren’s head hitting the ground hard, as the alpha lost consciousness.

 

~~~

 

Eren’s eyes shot open but closed just as fast when a blinding lamp above his head threatened to burn his retina.  
He groaned, the sound raspy, his mouth dry and cottony, filled with a sour taste as if a rat had died inside of it a week ago but the alpha knew that the flavor that coated his tongue was something else and it took him a moment to remember, as he blinked his eyes open again.

_Panic._

His teeth were surrounded by the remnants of hysteria, fear, of sheer horror, wrapped in roses and lilies and Eren tried to bounce from his bed as soon as his brain had solved the puzzle but couldn’t.  
Another groan spilled from his lips, frustrated and angry as he looked at the straps that held him in place on the stretcher, before a sound caught his attention and he lifted his throbbing head and turned it towards the opening door on the opposite wall.

“Wakey wakey my angry friend!”  
Hange strolled into the room with a clipboard in hand and he relaxed his neck again, his head sinking back down onto the stretcher.  
“Why am I tied to the bed…”  
“Ah, you know, the usual. Aggression, growling, the intent to murder someone…”  
She grinned at him and pocketed the pen she had held between her fingers before her hand came to rest on his forehead.  
“How are you feeling?”  
“As if a wrecking ball collided with my head.”  
“You hit it pretty hard on the ground and the tranquilizer I gave you would have knocked out five horses.”  
“You drugged me…”

His voice sounded sluggish as he tried to arrange words into sentences, doing his best to give her an angry look but she shrugged, the grin she wore at all times not leaving her face now either.  
“Better than getting shot, don’t you think?”

She picked a small flashlight from the pocket of her pants and directed the light at his eyes to check his reaction, before she nodded, seemingly satisfied and started to remove the straps that bound him.  
Eren didn’t bother to ask for what had happened, even though his memory was fuzzy at best. Instead he sat up, rubbed his wrists and inquired her about the only thing that seemed to matter at this moment, uncaring that every muscle in his body hurt and his head pounded as if someone was continuously slamming a hammer against his temples.

“Where is Levi?”  
“At home.”  
“Can I go?”  
“No.”  
His shoulders slumped and Hange shot him an apologetic look, before she took a chair and placed it next to him, while he started to remove the straps that locked his legs down.  
“You’re in custody. The only reason I’m allowed in here is because I convinced them, that I’m your physician.” She looked at the clipboard and shrugged, mumbling the next sentence to herself. “Wasn’t so hard with all the blood work and lab reports I have from you.”

“Doesn’t seem like a holding cell to me.”  
He looked around, figuring that he was in some sort of infirmary and Hange nodded before she confirmed his thoughts.  
“We’re in a hospital. You’re in the quarantine section. It was the easiest option to keep you restrained, separated from other people and under medical supervision at the same time. You know, with the sedative and all.”  
“That bad, huh?”  
“I kind of had to make sure that you get knocked out, you withstood two taser guns.”

Swinging his legs over the edge of the stretcher, he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees while he tried to focus, dizziness still pestering his brain and making the room around him spin.  
“How is he?”  
“He’s fine.”  
She smiled, her face kind and open instead of crazy and creepy for a change and the alpha sighed deeply, before she continued. “I haven't talked to him for a few hours but he was very worried about you. He missed you.”

Eren’s head perked up, before his eyes wandered around again, taking his surroundings in. He could already sense the unsettled, nervous feelings creeping in that reminded him vigorously, that the omega wasn’t with him and her words certainly didn’t help to ease these emotions.  
He missed Levi too.

“How long do I need to stay here?”  
“I can’t say, but it shouldn’t take too long.”  
Hange set the clipboard down and adjusted her glasses. “I’ve prepared and sent all the paperwork for your release while you were knocked out. We can prove that you’re an alpha in courting and all circumstances speak for you.”  
“Courting?!” His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, a disbelieving stare directed at the woman, before he could gather his wits again while she nodded. “You told them that Levi is an omega?!”

“Well… yes.”  
She shrugged, her eyes searching the clipboard again, before she turned back to him. “Levi wanted to make sure that there are no doubts left, but don’t worry, the information is confidential. We sent it to the UN, not next best newspaper.”  
“And you think that’s safe?”  
“I don’t know sweet pea…”  
Her expression was tired, now that he looked at her closely, but what worried him even more was, that Hange seemed out of answers for once. “He’s an omega, he never had to register his dynamic like you. We have no prior experience how well they’ll handle this information, but we added all the ugly lawyer stuff to declare that his medical files have to be kept under wraps.”

“I…”, he ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head in disbelief. “I don’t understand how this happened. I took a new shot this morning.”  
“Suppressants won’t change anything, Eren.”  
A warm hand settled on his arm, squeezing it empathically and Hange cocked her head while she looked at him. “You’re an alpha, Eren. Someone attacked your omega. It doesn’t matter how much you drug yourself, it doesn’t matter that it’s Levi. You’ll always react like that.”

The young man frowned, thought her words over for a moment, before he shook his head again.  
“You think that’s normal?”  
“It is!”  
She smiled and retracted her hand. “You have to understand that the abnormal thing isn’t your behavior, it’s everyone else’s.”  
“What?”  
“You follow the call of nature, you listen to your instincts in a world where everyone else has forgotten how to do that. You did nothing wrong!”  
“But –“  
“There is no ‘but’. It isn’t your fault that betas can’t tell the difference between the scent of an omega and the sweat of an angry elephant anymore.”  
She smiled again, somewhat sad this time and shrugged in defeat. “You’re right. You’ll never be what most people in this world consider ‘normal’ but that doesn’t mean that something is wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with you, Eren. You’re an alpha, a wonderful, strong, individuum with a special genetic makeup – so rare that even the United Nations put your kind under protection. Don’t let it get to you when you don’t fulfill other people’s standards. They’re not you.”  
Her smile widened, and she winked at him. “And they’ll never have an omega like Levi. Needs a whole lot of alpha to tame that little minx.”

A breathy chuckle rushed from his lips and he nodded, feeling reassured by Hange’s words.  
It was true, that his dynamic faced extinction and he had always been scared of the consequences it might have to give in to his instincts and considered it to be his duty, to adapt. Finding the right medication, daily injections, enduring the downsides of his gender, the scents, the lingering aggression that had caused his parents more trouble than was good for them when he was a brawling teenager, more nostril sprays, more inhibitors, more medicine, always more, more, more.

He looked up and stared at the ceiling for a moment before he closed his eyes and reminisced about the events in front of Levi’s house.  
This was, who he was.  
It was scary, terrifying if he was honest, but it had felt natural.  
All his life had he suppressed his second nature, had held back, had tried to conform and now that Levi slowly began to forcefully coax his true self out of him that went against everything he had learned, everything he had been raised to be, against the very personality he had formed over the years in an attempt to blend in, he started to wonder who he really was.

Being an alpha meant to pose a certain danger to others – that’s what he had been told his whole life and it had been less than two weeks ago when he had worried himself sick to turn into some sort of mindless beast after his first encounter with Levi, the memory of a news report where an Icelandic alpha had trashed a whole hospital ward by himself, still fresh in his mind.

Staying with Levi had confirmed a lot of his fears and at the same time hadn’t.  
Now that he was a slave to his instincts more often, he realized that yes, he was hard to control when his dynamic took hold of him and he was indeed dangerous but nothing about his behavior was mindless or without purpose.  
The immeasurable strength inside of him, the aggression, the possessiveness – it was all for Levi’s sake and he asked himself just how much easier things would be for people like him, if the world would remember that, instead of treating alphas like walking time bombs.

Hange said, there was nothing wrong with him and Eren wondered, if it was time to make peace with this part of him. To accept.  
To embrace his dynamic instead of fighting it as he had always done, as he had tried the last two weeks as well.  
Maybe the rules of society just didn’t apply to him, never could.  
Maybe he had to make his own, because despite everything that had happened, he felt no remorse and for the first time, he wasn’t scared of what he might do if instinct took over.

If it was for Levi, then that was all that mattered to him and the repercussions were negligible.

“What do we do now?”  
He opened his eyes and turned his gaze back to her, watching her writing on the clipboard, before she looked up and shrugged.  
“We wait? I hope we get released soon, shouldn’t be too long. I’ll keep you company.”  
About to turn her attention back to the paperwork in front of her to finish it quickly, she stopped. “Ah! I brought your phone! Want to have a look at it, while I finish this nonsense?”

The alpha responded with a nod. Maybe Levi had written him, and he could communicate via messenger with the omega until he was let out of his makeshift prison.  
Hange fumbled around in the pockets of her coat before she found his device and handed it over.

“Police is coming soon as well. Don’t be surprised, they need a statement.”  
“You think they’re disappointed that they didn’t get to shoot me?”  
The physician grinned wide and Eren responded in kind, before he averted his eyes and mumbled a low ‘thank you’ at her, for her efforts to keep his sorry ass alive.  
“Don’t mention it. Levi would’ve cried his eyes out if I got his super alpha killed.”

He scoffed and turned his phone on but Hange kept talking enthusiastically while she continued to scribble on the clipboard.  
“No really, your blood samples are quite something. Got a lot of the good stuff in there.”  
“What are you talking about?”  
He looked up just in time to see her shrug. “Your glands seem to be really well developed, since your hormone level is really high on dormant alpha peptides.”  
She shot him a quick look and grinned. “Your alpha heritage must be a lot stronger than you realized. Obviously, the scientific research wasn’t up to today’s standards in the past, but they did have some basic knowledge on hormones in the early 19th century and I’ve found records from old alpha lineages. You’re not so far off from what they carried around in their body.”

“Alright… cool… I guess?”  
Another grin split her face in half and Eren shrugged, not knowing what to do with the information.  
He had no idea how many alphas he had in his ancestry, was only aware of his beta parents but it wasn’t rare, that alphas gave birth to the beta dynamic. Quite possible that both his parents had a strong ratio of alpha genes in their lineage and both of them coming together was enough for the genetic traits to unfold their original potential.

He unlocked his phone and scrolled through his new messages, most of them from Armin and his family – who had already been made aware of the recent events – as well as some notifications from random acquaintances and even a text from an unknown number that turned out to be Mikasa, asking if he needed any kind of support.

Nothing from Levi.

A heavy sigh escaped him, before he opened the link to a video clip that several people had sent him and waited for it to start, watching the endless loading screen.  
When the clip finally began to play, it immediately caught his full attention and the young alpha didn’t even notice that Hange tensed and looked up from her paperwork.

Levi looked horrible.  
No amount of makeup in the world could hide just how red his eyes were, how heavy his lids drooped down and Eren furrowed his brows as he watched his omega stepping out of the door of his apartment, Erwin behind him with a stoic expression and a storm of flash lights and questions went off, all directed at him.

The alpha had never seen him like this.  
Levi loved the camera and the camera loved Levi but now he just looked frail and so, so small, as if the paparazzi, the people, the world had torn his soul from his body.

_I feel the same_ , thought Eren. _I’m not complete_.

The small man was visibly steeling himself and Erwin lifted his hand behind him to silence the crowd, before Levi took a deep breath and spoke.

“ _I am…_ ”, it was almost painful to listen as Levi’s voice broke, before he gathered himself again and started anew. “ _I am deeply shaken by today’s events. Eren is… Eren is very dear to me and I condemn that people who never met him, think they have the right to spread hate and prejudices about him in front of my own home_.”

The omega bit his lip, something Eren had watched what felt like a million times but he couldn’t help but think that this was different, that Levi was struggling for words.

“ _Everyone is different and we’re all special in our own way. Eren is a human being, not an animal, nor a pawn in other people’s political agenda and whoever doesn’t understand that is not a fan of mine and has no right to invade our life’s._ ”

Pictures from a cellphone camera out of the crowd during the morning played next, Levi’s voice still clearly layered on top of it all while images of him, sobbing and screaming and yelling flashed through the video as Eren fell to the ground in front of his house.

“ _Today’s events have shown all of us, that we still have a long way to go in terms of alpha rights and the way how the public deals with rare secondary genders. I hope that this example serves others to make the right decisions in the future and to educate themselves about the specifics of rare dynamics. Eren_ …”, a loud sob slipped from Levi’s lips and he cleared his throat to gather himself again. “ _Eren, could have died today, if it wasn’t for our very own physician. A pointless tragedy, born from ignorance and I implore all of you to remember our roots. Our differences should never divide us, they’re a chance, an opportunity to complete each other_.”

Eren watched the remaining footage of the incident that followed Levi’s speech. The angry mob, his silent descend on the stairs and the omegas hysteric pleas and tears until he couldn’t take more of it and turned it off.

Knowing what he had done, what he had turned Levi into, felt like a heavy weight on his shoulders, because he couldn’t remember any of the frantic screams, the sobbing and crying, had purely acted on instinct, facing the threat in front of him, guided by his omegas scent.

“This is all my fault…”  
Hange sighed, her own expression exhausted after reviving the memory of the earlier events. “No. Yes. Well… A little?”  
The brunette woman cringed when she saw his crestfallen expression and backpedaled immediately.  
“I mean, it’s obvious that you’re the cause for the situation but that doesn’t mean that it is your fault. It’s to be expected that an omega gets traumatized when he has to watch how his alpha gets hurt and forcefully separated from him.”

Listening to her words, Eren couldn’t stop the small smile that spread on his lips, despite their dire meaning and the physician cocked her head, but didn’t seem confused, just curious. He shook his head and shrugged, before he answered her unspoken question with a barely audible whisper.  
“You keep calling me his alpha.”  
She smiled. Wide and gleeful with a playful, cheery glint in her eyes.  
“I think that’s pretty much established by now.”

 

~~~

 

The wait was seemingly endless and by the time the police sent someone to question Eren, he was visibly agitated, his patience wearing thin as his dynamic started to push to the forefront again, urging him to return to the omega, to soothe him, to assure his safety and wellbeing.

He had showered in the adjacent bathroom. Something that bothered and satisfied him at the same time, since it meant that he had washed Levi’s scent from his skin but also removed the remnants of the models panic that clung to him, with it.  
At least his muscles thanked him, while his mind couldn’t decide if it was a good or a bad thing. He ached terribly, every part of him either stiff or numb or both, thanks to the taser attack and the hot water did wonders to loosen his rigid body.

The alpha didn’t say much as to why he had acted the way he did, Hange doing most of the talking to make sure that he didn’t spill any unnecessary information about Levi and he occasionally nodded in agreement to her words, while the secondary gender specialist that had been sent by the police kept frowning – obviously not satisfied by their statements.

It didn’t matter. They wouldn’t be able to hold him here, if his release got sanctioned in New York. Not complying would cause serious penalties, imposed on France by the United Nations – a consequence no government in their right mind would risk over a single person that hadn’t even done anything aside from growling at people in the open street.

When Hange received a message from Erwin a short while later, explaining why Levi didn’t answer any of Eren’s messages, he began to pace through the room, unable to keep himself still any longer.  
The omega was apathetic, sitting on the couch in his apartment, staring at the wall and it appeared that no matter what the manager tried, he didn’t get a response out of the small man who refused to eat, to drink, to sleep or talk.

It was five in the morning – almost 20 hours after Eren had been taken in – when Hange got word from New York, granting him freedom.  
The physician didn’t wait for the police to grace them with their presence or inform the people outside of their room who guarded the ward, but took it upon herself to make the necessary calls immediately and by the time he stepped out of the hospital, he was high-strung, felt irritable and prone to aggression.

Just a little more. He had to keep himself together just a little while longer and couldn’t risk losing his composure and getting taken in again – a few more minutes and he’d be back at his omegas side.

The car that picked them up made Eren twitchy with too many old scents lingering in the vehicle and he suddenly realized how long he had been going without Levi’s fragrance that coated everything and drowned his senses in bliss, warding off the stench of other people that lingered wherever he went.  
It wasn’t just Eren who looked after the omega. In a sense, Levi protected him too.

Tinted windows in the back of the car shielded him from the angry glares of the protesters, that stood at the barrier at the far end of the street where Levi’s apartment was located.  
The road had been cleared in front of the house but determined fans and opponents of the alpha dynamic kept camping behind the barricade that was guarded by several police cars, despite the wee hours of the morning.  
Eren though, barely paid attention to them, single mindedly focused on the prospect of seeing the omega, _his_ omega again, ignoring everything else around him – from the outside noises and passing buildings to Hange’s occasional attempts to talk to him.

Erwin waited for them in front of the door, when they left the car, his expression grave, his face terribly exhausted and he shook his head in response to Hange’s question, how Levi was doing.  
“He’s…”, the man shrugged in defeat, obviously out of his depth. “I told him that Eren is coming but he doesn’t even seem to hear me.”  
His eyes turned towards the alpha and he sighed heavily. “I think he’s not going to react to anyone but Eren. You should go in, see if you can make him snap out of it.”

The young man answered with a nod, not bothering to reply or wait any longer and walked up to the stairs, barely noticing Erwin’s and Hange’s words of good bye, before he opened the door and gasped immediately.  
Levi, Levi, _Levi_.  
The scent in the air was heavy with sorrow but it was his omega, roses and lilies, and the brunette didn’t take the time to remove his shoes or his jacket, just rushed into the living room in hasty strides, before the small man came into view and his head perked up the very second he smelt Eren’s scent around him.

_“Levi!”_  
_“Alpha!”_


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut! What can I say... Writing smut is hard :D  
> As always, I hope you have fun reading this chapter. I'm really grateful for all the feedback I get. All your comments encourage me and it's so much fun to talk with you and get your opinion :) And the insane amount of Kudos... Don't even know what to say to that. I'm absolutely overwhelmed with happiness :') This is an amazing community and I never thought I would have so much fun here when I started reading the first stories here and decided to register but you guys were always so sweet to me and really made me believe in my writing.  
> So.. Thank you :')

The model had barely gotten up from his seat in the short time it took Eren to cross the room, before he pulled the small man into his arms and his head dove down and pressed into the crook of Levi’s neck, to inhale huge gulps of his scent. Fresh and clear as day despite the collar that bumped against Eren’s nose.

He mouthed reassurances against the omegas skin, his teeth nipping on Levi’s jaw, kissing, licking, laving him in his scent, while a soft croon built in his chest and small hands buried themselves in the alphas hair, stroking and tugging until the young man lifted his head, their lips found each other, and everything was right in the world again.

“I missed you. I missed you so much, I was so worried!”  
Half of Levi’s frantic pecks missed his mouth, but he kept going with abandon. Kept pressing himself closer, as if he believed the alpha could vanish again at any moment and the unusual vulnerability in his words stroke a cord deep inside of Eren, that urged him to break away from the small man and still him with heavy hands on his shoulders when Levi’s face contorted in confusion and desperation.

“I’m sorry, Levi. I’m… so sorry. I’m here, I’m not leaving you again.”  
He cupped a blotchy cheek, the traces of tears still visible all over Levi’s face – dry patches of skin, a red nose, swollen eyelids – and lowered his head again, slowly this time, before he kissed the omega once more, careful and sensual and loving.

The model went slack in his arms, while Eren’s fingers left his cheek to run through black silky strands instead and the alpha sighed into the mouth that opened for him tentatively, when he heard a low purr floating through the air and felt its vibration in Levi’s slim chest.

The omega was so beautiful, so perfect, his thin lips soft, his pink tongue hot and sweet, his body fitting into Eren’s arms as if he belonged there and all his previous thoughts were confirmed in this moment – that Levi was all he would ever want, all he would ever need, that he was _made_ for him.

He indulged in the playful touch of their tongues a little longer, tasted his omega and reveled in the small sounds that slipped from Levi’s lips before he withdrew slowly, careful not to disturb the tender moment and tugged lightly on the black collar, that hid the glands of his mate.  
“Take it off…”

Looking up, the model frowned slightly, before his fingers wandered to his neck, touching the item with questioning eyes and Eren leaned forward and nudged Levi’s nose with his own, pressing a soft kiss on its tip in the next second.  
“Trust me.”

Following a moment of hesitation, the omega lifted his right hand to the nape of his neck, his eyes still uncertain but his movement fluid, and he placed his index finger on the tiny scanner for the lock to snap open.  
The alpha removed it carefully, put it down on the couch behind them and lowered his head once again, to cover one of the glands with his lips and lick a hot stripe over the sensitive skin, forcing a surprised gasp from Levi’s lips in turn.

“I want you…” His voice was deep, laden with desire from the taste of pheromones and the omega answered with a hurried nod, pressed Eren’s lips back to his neck and moaned throatily when he felt his tongue running over his heated skin a second time.

The alpha didn’t waste another moment and bent down further to pick the small man up, Levi’s legs closing around his waist immediately, before Eren walked to his room, his mouth never leaving the sensitive gland that tasted of heaven and salvation and a million unspoken promises.

He didn’t even think about his destination and Levi didn’t oppose.  
It was the alpha the model desired, his scent strongest in Eren’s sheets and both of them seemed to know without the need for words where they belonged in this moment.

Levi barely weighed anything, and his small body clung to Eren’s chest while the young man cupped his bottom gingerly.  
God, he tasted sweet, so fucking _divine_ that the alpha hardened in his pants before he even entered the room and when he finally stepped through the door and closed it, he didn’t make it to the bed, but pressed the omega against the closed entrance and abandoned his neck to search for his lips again.

Eren was gentle and slow when he started to work on the model’s buttons despite his waning patience, opening one at a time while his mouth moved over Levi’s without haste. The more he revealed of the small man’s torso, the tighter grew his own chest with adoration. The omega was impeccable, his skin milky white, almost translucent, blue veins and muscles showing beneath and not a single scar or mole in sight.  
_Flawless_.

“So pretty…”, he whispered, carefully easing Levi’s legs from his waist until his feet touched the wooden floor and Eren could take his jacket off and grab the hem of his own t-shirt to lift it over his head and discard it on the ground.  
The omega smiled, watched his trembling hand coming closer before the alpha spread his fingers on Levi’s naked chest. Careful, so careful as if he might break him and Levi sighed happily when Eren’s digits found a pink nub and he ran his thumb over it.

“So, so pretty…”  
The young man bent down until he was able to close his lips around the soft nipple, kissing it tenderly and circling it with his tongue soon after. It almost seemed as if every single cell in Levi’s body was oozing his pheromones, and every lick and taste of his skin coated Eren’s mouth with more ambrosia.

He sunk to his knees, trailing kisses down the lithe body as he did so and ended up pressing his face into the juncture between Levi’s leg and hip.  
Soft, small hands wound their way into his hair as he kept nuzzling the spot, murmuring how good it smelt and when he finally looked up, searching for Levi’s eyes, he was met with the familiar view of the small man biting his bottom lip.

The trepidation he had seen in the video clip when the omega had been chewing on the plump flesh was long gone, replaced by a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes but Eren kept looking. Looking and waiting until the small man gave an encouraging nod and licked his lips.

The alpha exhaled a shuddering breath into the fabric of Levi’s slacks and nuzzled the spot once more with closed eyes.  
He felt desperate to touch him, so unbelievably desperate but incredibly nervous as well, because everything was so new, so unfamiliar and still just Levi at the same time.  
His first man.  
His first omega.  
His everything.

Breaking away, he reached for the button of Levi’s pants after searching for his eyes and never breaking contact when he undid it and opened the zipper. The model just smiled, aware of Eren’s nerves, showing in the alphas expression and his shaking fingers and the omega helped him by lifting his feet one by one when Eren had shoved the fabric down, to step out of his slacks and boxers.

The young man released a long, nervous sigh, before he looked at the tiny figure in front of him with loving eyes, knowing that he had to say something, confirm something, felt the urge to tell his omega that he was beautiful and stunning and too good for this world, but Levi beat him to it, gnawing on his lips again, when he whispered, driven by his very own instincts that told him to lay down, bend over, show himself to the alphas scrutinizing eyes and be judged.

“Do you want me to…”, he nodded towards the bed and Eren shook his head immediately.  
“No.”, he placed his warm palms on Levi’s hips and looked up. “No, this is perfect. _You_ are perfect.”

The model’s eyes shied away, a small smile on his lips, so bashful, so unusual for someone like Levi and Eren felt himself grin, because it was true, because the omega was everything he could have ever dreamed of.

His body was so pristine, so pure. Soft skin wherever Eren looked, not a single hair disturbing the smooth expanses. His member was hard and small but not tiny, simply perfectly fitting the omegas proportions and it didn’t leak, just glistened invitingly, not an angry red, only more pale skin that faded into a light pink on its tip.

“God…”, his deep growl pulled a low whimper from Levi’s lips who felt the first hints of a well-known dampness at his rear and Eren knew he could fit him in his mouth, wanted to, leaned forward–  
“ _Eren!_ ”  
The long moan that followed Levi’s shout forced a heated groan from the alpha, his face buried in the small man’s crotch. It tasted like heaven, the skin of the omegas shaft like silk on his tongue and he didn’t have the mind to tease and play with his mate but dove right into it. Sucking and licking, addicted to the feeling, the noises, the scent that engulfed and encouraged him as his head bobbed up and down on the model’s hard length.

The back of Levi’s head hit the wooden door the moment he felt Eren’s lips around his member. The alphas scent so heady and intoxicating, amplifying the sensation thousand-fold.  
His hands tightened in Eren’s hair, raked the brown strands, pulled and tugged as the alpha took all of him in, sucking harshly, licking and lapping, his tongue curling around him and the omega sensed how his body readied itself. Almost there.  
Almost.

A soft trickle ran down his thighs and another moan fled from his mouth and echoed through the room.  
So hot. Everything was so warm and overwhelming, so _good_ and it took him a few seconds in his lust ridden haze to realize that the alpha had stopped his desperate ministrations.

“Eren…?”  
He opened his eyes and looked down, a mesmerized stare meeting his gaze.  
The alpha was frozen in place, his lips still closing around Levi but his body rigid, nostrils fluttering, and his pupils blown so wide that Levi was barely able to make out the green of his irises.

“Eren? Is everything oka– “  
A startled yelp slipped from his mouth when the alpha suddenly abandoned his groin and shot up, grabbing the omega by his waist and turning him around to pin him to the door.  
The question on the tip of his tongue was silenced by a rough hand that ran through his cleft and before he could even try to start anew, he heard a distinct sound in his back when Eren shoved his fingers into his own mouth.  
Lapping and slurping, so loud and obscene that the omega felt himself shudder.

“Eren, wha– “  
Two large hands spread his cheeks and next thing he knew, he felt Eren’s face pressed in between, licking his slick as if his life depended on it. He mewled as soon as the hot tongue ran over his entrance, a raw need growing achingly inside of him and spicing his scent further and the alpha just kept going. Sucked on his rim, prodded, teased as if he was determined to coax more liquid out of Levi’s body and the squelching sounds that only increased in volume proved his attempts successful.

“Eren, I – “  
The alpha let go of his behind and the moderately warm air in the room hitting his thighs felt suddenly cold. He was so wet, almost dripping with slick and saliva.  
A rustle sounded behind him, followed by a frustrated grunt and the tearing of fabric but he had no time to utter a question or even turn his head, because something blunt nudged against his entrance in the very next second and his whole body tensed.

He was an omega. He could handle it, but –  
This wasn’t how he had hoped–

The alpha stilled, the soft pressure of his cock still on Levi’s hole and the omega finally turned his upper body and looked at the tall man.

“Levi.”

Another nudge against his ass made the model flinch and the alpha furrowed his brows, as if he was at a loss. Too far gone to understand his mate’s reaction, let alone be able to converse about it, when the small body was so willing and wet and _ready_ for him.  
“Levi.”

The omega nodded and wet his lips with his tongue, realization dawning on him that it had been the sudden shift in his scent that had stopped the alpha, because discomfort and a hint of anxiety had burst from his glands.  
“It’s… It’s fine.”, he reached out for Eren’s arm and gave it a soft pat after gathering himself and he swallowed audibly.  
He wanted this. He wanted Eren. Wanted his alpha and every whiff of his heady musk, every second of the young man’s heated stare, lost to his instincts and acting on nothing but primal desire, stoked the flames of arousal inside of Levi higher.  
“Go ahead. Do it.”

His scent flared up with want and searing heat shot up his spine, when the alpha smelt it and didn’t hesitate for another second, kicked Levi’s legs apart with his foot and rammed himself into the small body.  
So huge, so full, but Eren wasn’t deterred by Levi’s broken cries, instantly setting a brutal pace, that had the small man sobbing, uncertain if it was pleasure or pain that made tears burst from his eyes.

The alpha was relentless, his hips snapping back and forth incessantly, so different from the gentle touches he had laid upon Levi only minutes ago but the slick, the scent of his willing mate had driven him mad with desperate need within seconds.

Loud pleas of the omega filled the room – for what he begged, he wasn’t sure himself.  
Being overpowered and used this way was frightening and yet it wasn’t, sated something deep inside of him, made him ask Eren to stop and then to give him more, the raw power of his thrusts leaving him panting and sweating and moaning.  
His alpha was _strong_.

And he proved it. Slipped out of Levi and picked him up as if it was nothing, to throw the omega on the bed, before his hot palms lifted Levi’s ass in the air and the alpha bent over him, pushing his neck down with one hand to press his face into the mattress.

“ _Eren…!_ ”  
His grip hurt but the young man didn’t let go and plunged back into his tight heat instead, his cock hammering into Levi and the omega moaned so loudly, he was almost yelling.

There was no escape, no safe words, no gesture that would make Eren stop. Only his omegas scent could bring him to a halt, but it kept growing with desperate arousal as Levi gasped into the comforter below his face and slick kept gushing from his hole, more of it dripping down his thighs after every violent thrust.  
His body was honest. It wouldn’t lie to his alpha.

When Eren hit his prostate the first time, he whimpered feverishly, and his cock began to leak freely, precum dripping from the tip down onto the covers.  
He didn’t need it, had dozens of glands in his tight tunnel that were sensitive and excitable and turned every single shove of Eren’s hot flesh inside of him into a wave of pleasure but god it felt amazing.

The alpha pulled him upwards as soon as his desperate whining ceased, a subconscious part of him telling the young man what the sounds his omega made meant. That it was good, that he needed more, and he buried himself even deeper. Levi bounced on Eren’s thighs, his back gliding up and down against the alphas chest, slick with their sweat, one tanned hand on his hip while the other wrapped around his throat and pulled him closer.

The heat was almost unbearable, Levi’s vision blurry from the pressure on his Adam’s apple that deprived him of oxygen and made his head swim. Still, the scalding sensation that had started to fill his insides didn’t abate, surged up more and more vigorously every time Eren rammed his cock into his prostate and forced another chocked moan from the omega.

“Eren – I’m – I will – “  
A vicious sting spread from his shoulder. Wet lips covering his skin, teeth sinking deep into his flesh while the grip on his throat tightened further and Levi screamed. Screamed his lungs out as Eren bit him again and again, bruised his neck and fucked into him.  
The hand on his hip held him like a vice by now, forced his body up and down and up and down when Levi was no longer able to cooperate until he felt Eren’s breath tingle behind his ear, a single nip on its lobe and he snapped.

One gentle touch in all the frenzy, one loving gesture in the midst of their frantic mating and the omega tensed with a last pathetically weak moan and spilled over the sheets in front of him.  
Eren growled, buried his face in the crook of Levi’s neck, feeling the slick heat around him growing impossibly tighter as he kept driving his cock into the small body that leaned against him like a lifeless ragdoll now.

Levi was spent, exhausted beyond everything he had ever experienced but the alpha kept going, coming closer to completion by the second, each of his thrusts more erratic than the one before. The omega whimpered feebly when a last, powerful shove drove Eren deep inside of him, but the relief didn’t last, an intense pressure stretching his tender body and he mewled in distress, tried to scramble away but couldn’t. The hold of his alpha didn’t ease off, their bodies locked together where Eren had slid in and out of him moments ago and the hot breath he suddenly felt in his nape was like a bucket of icy water, emptied on top of his head.

The omega was stiff as a statue for a few long heartbeats before he started trashing in Eren’s lap, tried to raise his hands to his neck and screeched at the alpha to let go, to stop, no, _no, NO_.  
The young man didn’t hear him or didn’t care. Whatever it was, he only removed his hand from Levi’s throat, grabbed his chin instead to tilt his head forward and by the time the omega had started crying, he pressed his lips to his flesh.

Levi went numb.  
Literally.  
The sharp canines didn’t break the skin on his gland but held the scruff of his nape and all the stress and anxiety bled from his body immediately. Every single muscle relaxed and loosened and the uncomfortable sensation of Eren’s knot was suddenly pleasant. Unfamiliar but not overwhelming or painful.

“Erennn…?”, he slurred, his tongue just as slack as every other part of his body and the alpha retracted his mouth slowly, before he nuzzled the back of Levi’s head and pressed himself tighter against the omegas back.

 

~~~

 

“I’m sorry…”  
The low whisper in his ear sent a shiver over Levi’s skin and he turned his head to the side as far as possible to look at the young man behind him.  
Eren had come to his senses soon after scruffing him and leaned against the headboard of the bed now with Levi in his lap, his back resting on the alphas chest as they waited for the knot to go down.

“It’s fine.”  
Eren shook his head vehemently and closed his arms loosely around the omegas waist. “I scared you. I will do better. You _deserve_ better.”

Huffing in embarrassment, Levi turned his head back to the TV in front of him.  
He had been _terrified_.  
Terrified that Eren would forcefully bond him, frightened by the unknown sensation of his knot but he would rather jump out of the window, naked and covered in his own slick as he was, than admit that to the man behind him.

“I was your first alpha.”  
It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Not surprising considering how rare alphas were these days. Not as scarce as omegas or a unique individuum like Levi, but unusual nonetheless and the model had certainly dispelled the last traces of doubt with his prior reactions to their mating.  
“I should have been more careful.”

Eren’s left hand wandered to Levi’s neck while he spoke, his fingers ghosting over the bruises around his throat where he had held him, had choked him, before they strayed away and traced the deep, red bitemarks that littered his shoulders.

“It didn’t seem as if you had a lot to say in the matter.”  
A warm nose brushed Levi’s cheek, before it moved downwards and nuzzled his jaw.  
“Yes and no. I was still there. Just… a lot less thinking and a lot more acting?”  
He felt how Eren shrugged in his back and nodded. It was probably hard to explain, just as it was difficult to describe the feelings he had endured during past heats. One who didn’t know it first hand, couldn’t understand it fully.

“It’s fine.”, he repeated, and the young man sighed deeply, before he reached for Levi’s chin and took a gentle hold of it, trying to turn his head but not forcing him.  
The model went along with it, looked into concerned green eyes and Eren’s thumb caressed his cheek gingerly, before he answered.

“Please don’t do this. Be honest with me.”  
Casting his eyes away, he started the well-known habit of biting his bottom lip while he contemplated Eren’s words.  
It hadn’t been awful, really not. It had felt good, despite how much it had scared him at the same time but…  
“I… “

The alpha encouraged him with a soft kiss to his ear and Levi leaned into the touch, craving it, and he finally allowed himself to feel some sort of relief.  
This was Eren how he knew him. Careful and adoring and beautiful and that was probably exactly, what he had missed.  
“I didn’t think it would be like this.”

Eren hummed, not seeming offended, just listening and Levi suddenly felt as if he had opened the box of pandora with his answer – only a few words but now he couldn’t stop himself from speaking further, spilling his guts out to the young man without drawing a breath.  
“It wasn’t bad. I mean, I liked it or maybe… some part of me liked it. I felt it – my dynamic. I can’t even tell you if it hurt in the beginning or not. I just knew that it was hard and fast and raw and somehow I thought ‘ _Yes, that’s how it’s supposed to be. Finally!_ ’. Or maybe I didn’t actively think, but it was there but at the same time it wasn’t how I – It wasn’t what I – “

Large arms closed tenderly around his chest, as frustration began to seep into his scent and Eren rubbed his face in Levi’s black strands.  
“I understand. I imagined it so many times and… I thought it would be different too. I want you to feel safe and happy, not scared when you’re with me.”

Levi shrugged wearily. “You asked me to trust you. I should have.”  
“No.”  
His head whipped around and Eren groaned from the sudden movement, feeling the omegas body tightening around his knot, but Levi kept looking at him with confused, wide eyes and the alpha cleared his throat and gathered himself to explain his answer.  
“Wear your collar. It was careless of me to ask you to remove it.”  
His arms pulled the small man closer, and he placed his chin on Levi’s shoulder, careful to avoid the bite marks he had left on his smooth skin. “Nothing happened, but of what use is that when you get scared? You shouldn’t worry about these things while we…”  
He didn’t finish his sentence and cleared his throat yet again, before he placed a gentle kiss on Levi’s gland and the model shivered from the touch. “And I… I was really out of it. Some part of me knew, but I wasn’t in control. You don’t need to prove your trust to me by risking so much.”

The model nodded with a soft sigh on his lips, closed his eyes and leaned back against his chest, snuggling into the warmth of Eren’s body, while his arms held him close.  
Being with Eren was something he had wanted, had felt it in the moment when the alpha had been ripped from his side and Levi couldn’t know if he would ever see him again.  
But he didn’t want to be afraid of what their dynamics would do to each other. He wanted to feel good. Safe, just as Eren had said and he wished the same for the alpha.  
Bonding, children – these things shouldn’t happen by accident mere weeks after getting to know each other. He wanted the desire for it to develop, just like his growing feelings and make a conscious decision about them when the right time had come.

“What about your birth control?”  
Levi blushed and turned his head away but Eren could still see the red tip of his ear and smiled against his neck.  
“It’s, uh… It’s fine?” The omega grabbed the rumpled sheets next to him, suddenly feeling the urge to cover himself, despite the fact that Eren was still _inside_ of him. “Hange took some blood the other day. My… My body seems to… It reacts as if…”  
The small man squirmed in his lap – pulling another groan from the tall man – and huffed indignantly, apparently unhappy about his own inability to phrase whatever he wanted to say and just blurted his next words out with irritation lacing his voice. “My bloodwork shows signs of pregnancy!”

“Uh…” Eren cocked his head. Bewildered, because Levi’s answer fought for attention in his head, battling the instinct that was focused on the longing smell that caressed his nostrils.  
Telling him, that Levi _wanted_ children.

The alpha closed his eyes for a moment, before he managed to sort through the implications of his statement and stared at the bare shoulder in front of his face when he opened his lids again.  
“Erwin?”  
“What?”  
“The… pregnancy…”  
Eren looked up to the ceiling and cursed his body. Cursed his scent that gave the sinking feeling in his chest away, his fucking knot that locked them together while he suddenly felt like leaving the country, his –  
“I’m not pregnant you idiot.”, interrupted Levi just in time to tame the growing aggression in Eren’s guts, whispering of all the beautiful ways he could make Erwin bleed for his audacity to lay his hands on the omega. “The contraceptives trick my body into acting as if I was. I can’t conceive this way.”  
“Oh…”

The omega let go of the sheet he had pressed to his chest and turned his head to nuzzle Eren’s neck, the scent of roses and lilies engulfing him instantly to comfort and calm him. “You’re fucking stupid.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“And you’re always apologizing.”  
Tension already leaving his body, the alpha shrugged and leaned forward to place a sweet kiss on Levi’s lips, soft and adoring despite the awkward angle and the omega automatically melted into the touch.  
“Because I’m always so stupid, I guess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things I want to say about why I wrote it this way:  
> 1\. I don't believe in the concept of a perfect first time with a new partner, that's just Hollywood :P  
> 2\. I know that it's a bit (okay, a lot) out of character but I wanted both of them to fall a bit into the roles of their genders. Eren shy at first but then overpowering and dominant and the opposite for Levi and I hope I managed to do that without it turning weird.  
> 3\. Kids, if you read that: You really shouldn't have read that *lol* but I guess you did, so take a lesson from this chapter and talk with your partner when everything is said and done (not just before). It's important to let the other one know how you feel about what happened, no matter if it was good or bad or something in between (And it's more interesting to write, than going on about how they clean up their butts and change the sheets, but that's just selfish little me.)
> 
> More smut is coming (next chapter as far as I can see right now) and don't you worry, it's gonna be all sweet and fluff, now that Eren has taken the edge off his crazy hormones:P


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends! Sorry for the long wait but I have been sooo busy the last days because the world championship for football started (No! Not soccer! :P) and as a football crazed German, I just can't ignore that :P (Well and then I got sick, so that didn't help either)
> 
> Well, I guess the damn broke: More sex! The sweet kind though ;) Also: We do not judge Eren's addiction to Levi's body fluids! :P  
> I hope you enjoy and I want to thank all of you again. 500 Kudos is absolutely unbelievable for me, I'm not even a native speaker and that so many people like my writing... Ugh, so awesome, I got pretty emotional when I saw it :') Thanks for your love and support on this amazing journey <3

Levi woke to a multitude of gentle sensations in the late afternoon.  
They had been awake into the morning hours, talking and touching and bathing in each other’s presence and the alpha still clung to him when he blinked his eyes open and felt soft rays of sunshine on his face, Eren’s arm draped over his waist and warmth emanating from his large frame.  
His eyes were open, green depths looking at the small man next to him, while Levi felt his slow, steady heartbeat in the broad chest under his fingers.

“Mnh… Eren…?”  
“Good morning.” The alpha’s voice was rough, raspy from sleep, but his expression was open and adoring when he pulled the omega closer, nosed on his neck and exhaled shuddering breaths against his skin before he mumbled into Levi’s hair. “God, you have no idea…”  
“No idea…?”  
The model rubbed his eyes, tried to shoo the haze of sleep away and make sense of the alphas words but all he managed to produce was a long, relaxed yawn, as he stretched his small body like a cat in young man’s embrace.

“… how perfect you are.”  
Eren drew back until he could look into wide, surprised gray eyes and they stared at each other for a long, silent moment, before a snort broke from Levi’s lips and the alpha answered with an amused grin.  
“Sap.”

“Don’t care.”  
A large hand slipped under Levi’s body and Eren turned on his back, lifted him on top of his chest at the same time and sprawled the omega out on himself, their hearts beating against each other and the model’s head safely tucked under Eren’s chin.  
“How do you feel?”

Levi wiggled a little on top of his alpha to find a comfortable position on the hard surface made of muscles and taut golden skin, a content sigh falling from his lips. He felt the movement of Eren’s arm in the broad shoulder under his head, before long fingers began to toy with his black strands and the omega snuggled even closer, not satisfied until every part of his body touched the naked flesh below him.  
“Good… Warm… Sore…”  
“Wan’t to take a shower? I could make some breakfast.”

Levi huffed against the warm pectoral beneath his face. “Just stop moving… I’m tired…”  
An amused chuckle vibrated in Eren’s chest, that made the omega’s head jump up and down on top of him and was rewarded with annoyed grumbling from Levi in return, before he rubbed soothing circles into Levi’s scalp, moved his hand downwards to knead his neck and drew lazy patters between his shoulder blades.

Levi was beautiful in every way and the alpha still couldn’t believe his luck, the giddy elation in his heart almost making him buzz with excitement, only tamed by the pressure of the small body on top of him that demanded rest and tender care.

Tracing the bumps of Levi’s spine, he inhaled the scent of roses and lilies deeply, floral but soft without any sweetness. Fresh and manly despite the delicate notes it carried.  
The low purr reaching his ears, when he splayed his fingers on the small of the omegas back resonated deep inside of him, caressing something no one else had ever touched, something Eren hadn’t even known was there before the omega had made him feel it and he let his hand stray further, his fingertips wandering over the supple globes to worship pale, flawless skin and perfection sculpted in flesh.

“What are you doing…?”  
He lifted his head a little and glanced at Levi’s relaxed face, eyes still closed, lips slightly parted, breathing steady little puffs against his chest.  
“You don’t like it?”

“Mnnnh…”, hummed the omega noncommittally, apparently unwilling to give Eren the satisfaction of being praised for his gentle caress but the alpha wasn’t fazed, could smell the deep contentment in Levi’s scent, mixed with the smallest pinch of arousal and kept running his hand along the soft curves of Levi’s body.

The omega only began to stir, when Eren slid a long finger into the crevice between his smooth cheeks, not aiming to get out of the alphas reach but pressing himself closer, spreading his legs slightly, opening up, while his small hand grasped aimlessly at Eren’s shoulder.

It was lovely in the truest sense of the word and the young man couldn’t contain the smile that spread on his lips, while he felt Levi’s lazy movements, still a little sluggish from sleep, deeply relaxed and calm, as he circled the delicate, pink entrance with the tip of his finger.

The omega felt safe. So safe, that he didn’t even open his eyes, just indulged in the soft touches and rubbed his cheek on the alphas torso between sweet little sighs that made Eren’s heart flutter.

He kept tracing the sensitive pucker without intruding into the small body, felt it twitching every now and then as he massaged it lazily and felt Levi hardening against his stomach. The sweet ambrosia that began to coat his finger soon after and moistened the tender rim drew a deep sigh from Eren’s lips and it was then, that the omega finally opened his eyes and reached out with one hand, to run a pale finger along his jawline.

“You like it?”, he rephrased his earlier question and Levi nodded without haste in response.  
“You want more?”, and the omega nodded again, before he lifted his head and leaned forward in search for Eren’s lips, his gasp swallowed by their kiss as the alpha pushed his finger slowly, ever so slowly into the velvety tunnel.

Eren groaned into the pliant mouth, the sensation of Levi’s tight walls heavenly around his finger.  
“You feel so good…”, he murmured huskily, while the small man nibbled on his bottom lip and he kept caressing Levi’s insides, not deeply penetrating the omega but idly dipping in and out with his fingertip before he drew more gentle circles around the sweet hole.

The lithe body began moving against his own, no desperation in the motions, just a languid glide, that spread the wetness of their erections on Eren’s abdomen, while a low moan escaped his lips.

It felt so good, _smelt_ so good.  
Roses and lilies and a slowly building need simmering beneath the surface of the scent, spicing the air together with the sweet tinges of Levi’s slick and precum. An addicting cocktail he could almost taste on his lips, so different from the thrilling arousal of the last night but better, more alluring because Levi was relaxed and open and willing and nothing could be more enticing and intoxicating for the alpha than knowing, that the omega was at peace and completely gave himself over.

He retracted his hand, offered his wet finger to the model and the small man wrinkled his nose, before he took a tentative sniff and the tip of his pink tongue darted out to lap on the digit.  
The reaction from Eren was far different, when he brought it to his lips afterwards and tasted his omega, a deep, guttural moan falling from his mouth, as his eyes rolled back, pupils blown wide as if he was on drugs.  
Levi huffed an amused chuckle but couldn’t conceal the beautiful blush that spread on his cheeks, while he watched the alpha. “That good?”  
“Like catnip…” He licked another stripe along his finger and groaned. “I want more…”

The flush on Levi’s face spread further, down his neck, reaching his shoulders but he didn’t argue Eren’s words and got up on his knees to turn around and offer the alpha a good look at his backside.

The young man smiled and raised his hand until he could cup the smooth cheeks, caressing them tenderly, before his fingers wandered to the omegas slim hip and encouraged him with little tentative tugs. “Come here… No need to be shy.”  
“I don’t think anyone has ever been so eager to eat my ass.”, quipped the model as Eren began to nuzzle his thigh with a grin on his face and placed soft kisses to the beautiful skin.  
“They can’t appreciate it the same way. They don’t know what they’re missing…”

Leaning forward, he nosed the small sac and licked upwards to get another taste of Levi’s arousal and he couldn’t say who of them was moaning louder when his tongue met the glistening orifice.

“God, you’re so beautiful…”  
A gentle bite to one of the soft globes had Levi shivering, before Eren spread them again and kissed the sensitive pucker, coated his lips in sweet slick and lapped the delicious liquid.

The omega panted against his thick, muscular thigh and whimpered into the coarse hair at the base of his shaft – music to Eren’s ears, while he sucked at Levi’s rim and drew more shivers and moans from the model.

He prodded playfully on the tight ring, before his dexterous tongue slipped into the heated entrance that tensed around him, not from the intrusion but pleasure and he hummed lowly, a pleased smile on his occupied lips when he heard a guttural moan in response to the vibrations he sent through Levi’s body.

When the omega reached for his cock, he stiffened in surprise but relaxed in the next second and gulped audibly as he watched how the model leaned down.  
Eren was huge, Levi small and there was most likely no chance for him to force the alphas member into his tiny mouth, but the small kitten licks he felt moments later while the omega held his shaft with both hands were even more maddening than any expertly executed blowjob could ever be.

“Fuck! Levi!”  
The small man giggled and rubbed his cheek on the tip, spreading saliva and precum on Levi’s face, while his hands began stroking him and Eren knew that he needed to see this, even if it was the last thing he did in his life.

“L-Lay down.”

A kiss to the tip of his cock left a tingling sensation behind, before the omega climbed down from him and laid himself out on the mattress and Eren didn’t even know where to look first.  
The pretty blush on his cheeks, huge, dark eyes hidden under hooded lids, his beautiful body, the slight wetness on his abdomen where his own, hardened member touched his skin – everything about him was like a damn aphrodisiac, specifically designed for the alpha.

He climbed over the model, caged his head with his thighs and pressed his strained erection to Levi’s lips. The small pink tongue darted out immediately, licked his slit and danced along his cock, before slim, soft lips pressed against the crown and suckled enthusiastically.  
God, how much he wanted to fuck that sweet little mouth.

It took him a moment to realize that he had spoken out loud, because Levi opened up, engulfing as much of his length as he could – the glans barely fit and his lips seemed to stretch uncomfortably – and Eren threw his head back with a loud, primal growl, so animalistic that the omega mewled in response, greedily trying to fit more of his alpha into his wet cavern.

“Shit! So good, Levi – So, so good my sweet little omega. You can take it, right? You can take me?”

The model nodded enthusiastically, despite the tears that pooled in the corner of his eyes and Eren rutted into his mouth, just the slightest bit, as not to choke him, while praise and profanities fell from his lips.

Small hands clawed at the alphas sides, but Levi’s scent was still rabidly aroused, not a trace of distress and his moans around Eren’s cock full of want.

“Tell me what you need Levi.” He grabbed the soft black hair, kept pushing himself into the wet heat as far as humanly possible with labored breaths and erratic hips. The friction was minimal, barely there with what little movement he could make but the _sight_!  
His omega panting and flushed, his wide girth between Levi’s glistening lips and the desperate desire in his glazed eyes were almost too much to look at. “Anything. Anything you need. Do you want me to lick you? To take you?”

The model wasn’t able to reply but the deep groan that sounded between Eren’s thighs and had his whole body shaking was answer enough for him. He retracted himself and traced Levi’s swollen lips with the tip of his cock for a moment, hypnotized by the view as he spread more saliva and precum, before he scooted down to cover the small man with his body.

Finally kissing the omega again, he tasted himself with a shuddering sigh while his member easily slid between Levi’s cheeks, aided by the wetness that had begun to drench the sheets underneath him, but he didn’t enter the small man just yet. Kept kissing him instead, mouthed a million little pecks on his perfect face and down his jaw, before he reached his shoulder and lavished the deep, angry bite marks of the previous night with attention.

The omega didn’t even flinch, just tilted his head. Seemingly too far gone to make much of the little sparks of pain, caused by Eren’s lips touching his abused skin, but kept looking at him as if he hoped for more, hoped for the alpha to devour his whole neck and the young man couldn’t even begin to fathom how he scrambled enough brain cells together to reach for a belt that had been haphazardly thrown next to the bed.  
He slung the soft leather around the slim throat several times, unwilling to extract himself from the small man and Levi’s collar might as well have been at the other end of the world instead of the next room, because it felt way too far away and Eren just _couldn’t_ leave.

Closing the belt, he tugged at the leather, deciding that it wasn’t too tight and looked at the model, but Levi didn’t seem to bother or care. Being a bit more coherent, he might have appreciated the thought, but his head was too hazy, his mind too far gone. Probably for his own good, because if he would have consciously received any more affection from the alpha, who practically worshipped his body and looked at him as if he was a fucking miracle, his heart might have burst in his chest.

“God… I don’t even –“, he let his hands wander over Levi’s ribs and reveled in the feeling of his silky skin, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re a man and I don’t know what I’m doing half of the time but you’re the single most beautiful thing in the world I’ve ever seen…”

Glazed silver eyes widened slightly as Levi gained some sense of himself again at Eren’s words and he looked away, embarrassed and happy at the same time. He worried his lips, before he looked back at the alpha and covered his large hands with his own, concerned about his feelings, now that they weren’t caught in the daze of their dynamics, despite the sweet confession he had heard.  
“It’s not weird… right?”

Eren’s expression softened and a low, calming rumble spread from his chest, rising around them without pause while he was answering.  
“No… God no. I want you so much…”  
A slow roll of his hips emphasized his words, languidly teasing Levi’s rim with his strained member.  
“Please let me have you. Please…”

It was a loaded answer, asking for more than consent for their coupling and the sound escaping the omegas lips was half sob, half relieved laugh and he nodded hastily as he looked at the vulnerable, pleading expression in Eren’s face with glistening, gray eyes, suddenly wet with emotion. “Yes, yes… please.”

The alpha just smiled in response, lowered his head to kiss the sweet, sweet lips of his omega once more and began his gentle invasion, pushing himself forward into the slick, hot tunnel, while he swallowed the little moans and whimpers of his mate.

Being inside of Levi was heaven, was home, was everything good and divine in this world and he couldn’t even begin to understand how the tiny body swallowed him so readily as if it had been molded just for him.

The omega sobbed again, pulled him closer and forced their bodies together as if he’d die the second Eren distanced himself and the alpha kept kissing him, licked the tears falling from his thick lashes off his cheeks, nuzzled his face and released hot pants against the cute, small curve of his ear while he set a slow, gentle rhythm, moving with the beautiful body beneath in perfect harmony.

“You’re so– so perfect– perfect for me.” Heavy breaths escaped him with every thrust, his eyes focused on Levi, his hands framing his small face. He ran his thumb over the model’s deliciously shaped lips, brushed sweaty bangs from his forehead and kept gazing at him, the omega looking back, all his attention trained at soft, green eyes as if the heated meeting of their bodies wasn’t even happening. Only the soft gasps and moans escaping him betrayed his entranced demeanor.

Eren sat up slowly, pulling the small man with him until he was straddling the alphas thighs and the young man bent down, licking the salty sheen that covered Levi’s chest, before he closed his lips around a pink nipple with a gentle suck.  
The tender rocking of their body didn’t falter, even when the omega stuttered and released a pleased moan, as Eren grazed the sensitive nub. He began to push himself down faster, chasing more of that overwhelming feeling that sparked inside of him whenever the alpha thrust into him and stretched his velvety walls and filled him to the brim, brushing every sensitive spot inside of him and making his nerves tingle.

“Deeper. Deeper, Eren.”  
His breathless voice wasn’t more than a whisper, but the alpha heard him and looked up with a light furrow between his brows. “Levi, I – “  
“It’s okay.” He leaned forward and caught the skin above one of Eren’s glands with his teeth, nibbling gently but insistently and the young man groaned, instinctually snapping his hips up harshly to burry himself deeper in his omega, who kept pleading with him whenever he caught his breath between teasing nips and licks. “It’s fine– You can– You can knot me.”

“Fuck!” Eren’s arms snaked around the lithe frame immediately and held him in a tight grip to push him into his next feverish thrust, suddenly so heated and desperate from the mere thought of filling the omega with his flesh and his seed.  
Levi threw his head back with a guttural moan as the first harder shove into his tight hole hit right on the target. He steadied himself with one hand on Eren’s broad shoulder, meeting his thrusts with vigor, while the other hand sunk lower to grab his leaking cock and when the alpha felt Levi’s fingers brushing his pelvis he almost lost his shit right then and there.

“God, yes! Touch yourself! Come for me Levi!”

The omega nodded almost coyly, biting his bottom lip and pumped himself, as Eren became more and more rough, slamming up into the small body as he had done in the previous night and feeling so different at the same time.  
Levi was open and pliant, willing without reservations and with the heavy cloud of alpha haze being lifted, Eren sensed everything so perfectly clear, the wetness, the heat, the drag when he plunged into the tight omega and it felt so insanely good and hot, that he knew he’d burst any second.

He closed his fist in Levi’s hair, yanked his head back and thrust harder, _harder_ , before he rammed himself into the tight channel with a last, desperate growl and bit into the belt, piercing the layers of leather with his sharp canines while he filled the omega with hot seed. Levi mewled, his whole body trembling as Eren’s knot filled him and he coated the alphas abdomen with pearly liquid and slumped down against his chest soon after.

The young man panted harshly into the crook of Levi’s neck, carefully retracting his fingers that had been pulling on the soft, black hair. He kept rocking the small body slowly, patting the pale expanse of the omegas back and whispered sweet nothings into his ear.

When the model finally caught his breath, he broke away from the alpha, looking everywhere but at the man in front of him. It was weird, incredibly intimate to be tied to him face to face and he contemplated if he should just burry his nose in Eren’s shoulder again, before the alpha spoke with a low voice.  
“Thank you.”

His expression morphed into a mask of confusion and his eyes met green depths, that gazed at him intently. “What? I mean– Why? For what?”  
An amused chuckle rumbled from Eren’s chest, before he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Levi’s lips. “Well, for sharing this moment with me, of course. For being mine.”

 

~~~

 

Eren’s knot had died down eventually and just like the night before, it had been a fucking mess, that Levi – to his own utter horror – didn’t seem to mind in the least.  
Yes, they were filthy and needed a shower and he probably had to burn the sheets as well but there was something deeply soothing and satisfying in the sensation of Eren’s seed dripping from his sore entrance and the knowledge, that the mattress of the alphas bed was so thoroughly drenched with slick and cum, that even a chemical treatment wouldn’t be able to remove the scent of it.

At this point, the omega had stopped asking himself why he was acting completely out of character when it came to the alpha. If enduring a filthy mattress was all it took for him to be content and happy, so be it.

The young man had removed the belt around Levi’s neck with careful hands, pleased to see that the leather hadn’t left any new marks and bruises on his skin besides a little redness that would fade quickly. That the item was ruined, littered with the deep holes of several bite marks, didn’t seem to bother him and the model told himself to buy a new one for the alpha.  
Eren had gotten him a fucking watch with money he didn’t even have, so Levi might as well reciprocate the gesture and make sure that Eren’s pants didn’t drop from his ass in the open street.

If he’d ever be able to go out into the open again, that was.

They had bathed and cooked and eaten – or rather Eren had bathed Levi, cooked for him and even tried to feed him before the omega had lost it. The coddling was obviously not over yet, even though they had screwed like rabid animals and if Levi had to make a guess, it probably wasn’t going to stop until he accepted to bond with the alpha.

Did people still do that? Hell, if he knew. Couples got divorced and changed partners like their underwear these days and it was difficult and annoying enough without the lifelong commitment of a mating bond. Omegas were so rare, he had no idea if bonding was still a thing among them and what the success rate was for it to work out and the only one he could probably ask about that stuff was Hange, which he was so not going to do.  
Shitty glasses would have a fucking field day.

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought. He knew Eren for two weeks and wasn’t even divorced yet. Someone was a little overeager – his dynamic to be exact, but then again, worldly bonds didn’t matter when it came to mating. He could get his neck mauled whenever he wanted, and his pending wife wouldn’t be able to do shit about it. Besides, it was probably best to think about these things before they attempted to start a family, because he really didn’t want to think about–  
“Levi?”

His head snapped up and he blinked at the young man next to him.  
_What the hell was wrong with him?_  
Eren cocked a brow and reached out to tuck a silky strand of black hair behind Levi’s ear. “Everything okay?”

He shrugged, about to brush the question off, before he paused.  
Eren was his alpha now and he had clearly expressed the wish for them to be open with one another and they had had sex and if he didn’t understand odd gender tendencies, being of a rare dynamic himself, who else would?  
The small man cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, before he turned to his mate. “Do you… feel weird?”  
“Weird?” The young man took Levi’s tense expression in, waiting for the model to elaborate.  
“Like… Impatient? Over… alpha…ish?”

Eren’s lips curled into a smile and he nodded. “Yeah, since days. Though I’m feeling better now. Guess I had to get that breeding thing out of my system.”  
Levi gaped at him, feeling heat rising in his face. Since when was the brat so fucking frank with his wording?  
“Why are you asking?”

The omega shook his head, mumbling a ‘ _never mind_ ’, because he wasn’t ready yet to let the young man in on his embarrassing train of thought and how he was currently wondering how he would have to remodel the house to fit a truckload of kids into their home.  
Fuck being open and honest.

He reached for the remote control as means of distraction from the conversation and turned the tv on, but it took what felt like less than a nanosecond to regret his decision.

_‘… quite a bit of commotion around the super model lately. We even heard some critical voices, claiming that we’re dealing with some sort of PR stunt here.’_

Eren tensed visibly, while they watched the screen, a bold headline in the background saying “Alpha Eren Jäger: Controlling or out of control?”, surrounded by pictures of Levi and himself, mostly originating from the incident in front of the omegas house on the previous day.

 _‘No, we can say with certainty that behavior associated with a person’s dynamic can’t be triggered on command’_ , answered a middle-aged man with delicate glasses, who was labeled as a secondary gender specialist.

 _‘What makes you certain, that he’s not just a very good actor?’_ , inquired the moderator with a stern expression, as if she wasn’t talking about celebrity gossip but a political crisis.

‘ _Well… I think we’ve all seen the footage of yesterday’s incident. There is no doubt that alphas are highly developed in terms of their physical abilities, but they are still human and do have their limits. Their exceptional capabilities are hormone induced, something that is out of their control. You can compare it to a dangerous situation for the average person. Our body recognizes a threat and produces adrenalin, which increases the oxygen flow in our body, assures a better supply of nutrients for our muscles, and so on and so forth. As a result, we are stronger, run faster, etcetera._  
_The same applies for an alpha, but their hormonal cocktail is more potent and combined with their naturally advanced build, it’s having quite explosive results.’_

A clip showing Eren flickered on the screen and Levi flinched as they watched how the young man got shot with two tasers, still standing upright and moving towards the police officers, while the specialist continued his explanation.

_‘As you can see here, Mr. Jäger shows all the typical signs of dynamic induced behavior. Body language, stance, dilation of pupils, but the most telling indication is obviously his resistance to physical damage. You can’t fake it and you can’t summon it as you please.’_

The moderator made a show of nodding thoughtfully before she continued. _‘And what are the possible reasons that might have caused this extreme reaction? Someone threw something at him, could that be the trigger?’_

_‘We’re talking about instinctual behavior. The patterns for these things are pretty simple. Alphas are protective, and they are territorial. In our example here, we can conclude that it wasn’t the attack aimed at himself but at Mr. Ackermann, that caused this reaction.’_

The woman on the screen perked up as if she was a dog and someone had just thrown her a bone, while Eren groaned.

_‘Mr. Jäger’s dynamic broke through to protect Levi Ackermann? What does that say about their relationship?’_

To their great relief, the expert dampened her enthusiasm for gossip immediately.

_‘A lot and at the same time not much at all. Alphas have a dormant sense of pack. It includes their family, close friends, partners. Every person of significance to the alpha can trigger his protective instincts. All we can say for certain, is that Mr. Jäger feels that he has a close relationship to Mr. Ackermann. Neither can we draw conclusions about their kind of relationship nor if Mr. Ackermann has an equal understanding of it.’_

_‘What do you mean?’_

_‘I mean…’_ , the man adjusted his glasses, _‘… judging from the footage we can probably agree, that Mr. Ackermann cares about Mr. Jäger, considering how he reacted, but in terms of dynamic, Mr. Ackermann might as well hate Mr. Jäger. As long as Mr. Ackermann is of importance to Mr. Jäger, it can trigger instinctual behavior, even if Mr. Jäger isn’t of the same importance to Mr. Ackermann._  
_What matters is the alphas perspective.’_

“So, you’re still going to kick ass for me, even if I dump you?”, snickered Levi and the alpha rolled his eyes, before he snatched the remote control away and turned the tv off. The frown between his brows was deep when he turned to the omega and reached for his hand, as he slowly began to understand all the repercussions his behavior from the previous day might cause.  
“Aren’t you worried?”

The small man shrugged as he entwined their fingers and Eren heaved a deep sigh. “I mean… The media is already on to something and you had to reveal yourself to the officials in order to get me out. What if it gets into the wrong hands?”

Levi leaned forward to rest his head on Eren’s shoulder, before he pressed a small kiss on his cheek.  
“Of course, I’m worried. I’m scared shitless, but…”  
“But?”  
The alpha closed his arms around the model and rubbed his cheek on Levi’s temple.  
“But I’m not alone anymore, right?”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. That was too long and I should have updated this fic a lot sooner. I spent a little while to plan the remaining plot and it got seriously complicated in my head *lol* And then I just needed a break and posted two chapters of another fic I have been working on the side (You can find it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038297/chapters/34862720). Give it some love if you feel like reading more from me, that's basically all I'm living for by now *lol*)
> 
> Levi has some serious case of dual personality going on in this chapter (from super foul mouthed to super whiny) and I hope it isn't too weird. I'm not sure how I feel about that myself but we'll roll with it :P  
> Thank you for all your comments, kudos and love. Your positivity and support - You're the best and discussing this story with you and getting your feedback is seriously the most amazing part of writing this fic.

It was late afternoon when Erwin and Hange arrived to check in on them and discuss how to handle the current situation with the media, and the first minutes were tense and awkward with both of them seeming somewhat reluctant to enter the living room.

The pair wasn’t too concerned, since it hadn’t been the first time that Eren somehow managed to intimidate betas without the aid of his pheromones that the common dynamic couldn’t detect. What exactly it was that kept Levi’s staff members at bay, nobody could tell but it probably had something to do with the fact, that the alpha had mated with the model and a new sort of claim was hovering over both, the house and the omega himself.

Things didn’t turn for the better, when they finally settled on the couch – Levi in Eren’s lap instead of his usual armchair – and his guests got a chance to look him over. Erwin didn’t jump at the alpha with swinging fists this time, but the distasteful look in his eyes when he spotted the bruises in the form of fingers around Levi’s neck conveyed a clear message.

The model hadn’t bothered to cover up the bitemarks and hickeys either but wore a wide shirt with a low neckline that hung loosely from one of his shoulders and put the whole extent of Eren’s handiwork on full display. It was almost as if the small man wanted them to see and the alpha felt a swell of pride whenever Levi ran his fingers absentmindedly over the traces of the previous night.

“Levi…”, the manager was visibly struggling to find the right words, a rare feat Levi had barely witnessed during all their years together. “…is this…”  
Even though the model had openly shown the marks on his skin, he didn’t seem to catch on to what Erwin was trying to ask him and cocked his head with a questioning look on his face.  
“What?”

“Your throat. He’s talking about your skin.”, supplied Hange who seemed to be a little insecure herself despite previously knowing what to expect if Eren and Levi ever got to doing the deed – and she had no doubt that this was what had happened. Seeing the evidence with her own eyes was different from reading about it in books and the omegas neck showed clear signs of physical trauma, that she would have advised to treat in a hospital under normal circumstances.  
The alpha had obviously exerted a lot of force on the small man and the marks littering the visible part of Levi’s upper body were… disturbing.

“Ah…”  
The omega raised a small hand to his Adam’s apple and nodded solemnly. “It’s alright. It…”  
He turned his head over his shoulder and looked at Eren, searching for the right words himself now and the alpha sighed, before he answered them in all honesty.  
“It got a bit out of hand last night. I lost my composure.”

“Why?”  
Erwin’s voice was sharp and accusing and Levi’s head snapped around in an instant, his own words laced with warning. “Erwin…”  
“What happened?!”  
“Erwin don’t– “  
“They had sex.”

Levi didn’t take the time to send a hateful glare in Hange’s direction, too busy watching how comprehension dawned in Erwin’s expression before his face fell and his lips pressed into a thin line, but just as he had said earlier during the day, he wasn’t alone in this anymore.  
“ _Hange!_ ” Eren’s voice was almost booming through the room, fueled by Levi’s scent that filled with guilt upon hurting his friend and a strong arm tightened around the omega, as if to anchor him.

The physician flinched when the alpha reprimanded her, while Levi rubbed his forehead, trying to find the right words. Just why was everything always so complicated with his team? They were supposed to work for him. Instead he constantly felt as if he was in the middle of a family dinner on Christmas, trying not to step on anyone’s toes. And when did his sex life become an open topic to discuss in the living room?  
Probably self-made trouble, if he was honest.

“Erwin, look – “  
“No.”, the tall man shook his head after interrupting him. “It’s none of my business, but I’m glad to know that things work out for you. We’re a team, right?”  
The model nodded slowly, watching the manager closely as he repeated his own words from their last conversation, before he leaned forward to pick up a slim folder he had placed on the coffee table earlier.

Obviously, it didn’t sit well with Levi to hurt his friend, but just as Eren had stated after the last argument between Erwin and the model, the omega couldn’t hold back forever, just to spare the managers feelings and there was probably nothing he could say to make this better.  
It wasn’t on him any longer, to console the man. It wouldn’t be honest, because the model would make the same choice over and over again, to be with the alpha.

“And since we’re a team…”, Erwin opened the folder and sighed as soon as he looked at its content, “… we need to talk about a few things.”

Levi narrowed his eyes when he caught a glimpse of the first page. He had expected a collection of articles from the papers, maybe a few angry petitions to force Eren’s swift departure from France but the neatly filled white page, covered in lines of small letters and numbers threw him off.

“There is no way to put this nicely, so I’ll get straight to the point.”  
The manager handed him the page together with a few others. “Eren is massively damaging your public image.”  
There was tension in Eren’s arms as soon as Erwin had uttered the words and it caused Levi to react before he had even looked at the paperwork. “Eyebrows, we talked about this!”

“Hear me out.”, he raised his hands as if in surrender and nodded at the pages. “There is zero interest in your next collection and several reorders for the current season have been canceled, even though we’ve already been in production. We’re sitting on products we can’t sell, and buyers rather pay the fees for violating the contracts and terms we agreed on, than having anything to do with your label, Levi.”

Gray eyes widened, as he scanned the page, before another was pushed into his hand over the table.  
“Which leads us to the next problem…”  
“No…”, he bit his lips while he scanned the numbers.  
“Yes. Your stocks are crashing, and I don’t mean a little dive, I mean about to hit rock bottom. If we don’t do something and do it fast, your company is going to be worthless.”

“That happened because of me?”, interrupted a shaky voice in Levi’s back and the omega turned around to look at Eren, who’s expression showed just as much shock and guilt as his scent.  
“Well…”, Erwin licked his lips, choosing his words carefully. “I don’t think it’s only a matter of your dynamic. It is a highly controversial topic and conservative, closed-minded people exist everywhere, but the fashion industry is a lot more tolerant than other economies. Half of the worlds most renowned designers are openly gay – Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Gianni Versace, Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, … – and nobody bats an eye. I don’t think you’d face direct harassment only for your dynamic either.”

“Then what’s the problem?”, Levi put the pages on the table. Whatever the issue was, they better solved it fast, because suddenly, everything he had worked for was on the line.  
“That he proves them right.”  
“What?”

The manager sighed and Hange finally allowed herself to partake in the conversation again after she had fallen silent upon Eren’s reprimand.  
“The issues isn’t Eren being an alpha. It’s him behaving like one. The few times he has been seen in public he acted in an aggressive way and seemed dangerous to bystanders.”  
Erwin nodded. “The public, the people who are meant to buy your products seem to think that you’re harboring some kind of criminal or… dangerous beast. Eren’s image is bad and so, by proxy, is yours. No fashion house wants to fill their shelfs with your clothes when they think that nobody wants to buy them.”

The alpha had fallen eerily silent, but Levi was able to feel the light tremor in his body and he knew that the young man was already having his personal guilt trip, asking himself why he ruined his omegas life but Eren wasn’t responsible for this.  
It wasn’t his fault that he behaved the way he was meant to, and that people just couldn’t understand that. Instead of giving him more time to dwell on it, it was important to look forward and solve the issue. To show the alpha that they could handle this, and it was okay for him to be himself.

“So, what do we do?”  
“Well…”, Erwin flipped through a few more pages. “Sales and distribution is obviously working on changing the situation for the better. We need to sell. The board agreed that we can cut some deals if it helps us to sign bigger, more prestigious partners and hopefully from there, it will lure more buyers in. In the meantime, we need to work on Eren’s public image.”

The alpha perked up, curiosity and mild relief seeping into his scent at the prospect that he could try to remedy the situation. “What do you need me to do?”  
“I think we have two angles on this matter. One is raising more awareness for your dynamic in general and educate about it. It will help all alphas; hence it will help you.”  
“And the second?”, Levi leaned back against the broad chest in his back and enveloped Eren in a soothing scent that started oozing from his body on instinct.  
“Eren as an individual, not only as an alpha.”

“I’m not sure I understand…”, the young man murmured, visibly relaxed from Levi’s fragrance already, his formerly tight arms suddenly hanging loosely around the omega’s waist.  
“You’re cute.”, threw Hange into the conversation and Erwin rolled his eyes on cue.  
“Cute?”, both, alpha and omega, cocked a brow, before their gaze traveled back to the manager for a more helpful explanation.

“Well, yes. Eren is… appealing. He’s tall, good looking. In fact, he could probably model as well, still has that nice-boy-next-door air around him at the same time. He goes to university and has good grades, comes from a decent family, spent some time studying in America… Looking at it from the outside, he has his life together. Young and ambitious but down to earth.”

The small model nodded thoughtfully. “I see what you’re getting at, eyebrows.”  
“Despite the commotion, or probably because of it, I’ve got several papers asking for interviews. Even a talk show got in touch with me for a tv segment. We can vet the questions, Eren talks about his dynamic and we hope that his looks and personality do the rest. High media presence is the only way to get our own side of the story out there. If we hide and don’t comment, we’ll only make things worse.”  
Blue eyes shifted away from Levi to the alpha. “That is, if Eren agrees.”

“Of course!”  
The brunette nodded enthusiastically, and Levi shifted involuntarily in his lap from the motions.  
“When would this interview be? Anything we need to prepare for?”  
Erwin looked at the model for a long moment, before he shook his head. “Soon, I’ll give them a call and we can probably expect it to take place within the week, while the topic is still interesting for the masses, but you don’t need to prepare anything.”

The way the manager averted his eyes caused Levi to frown and he looked at Hange who made a face as if he was almost about to fucking whistle innocently.  
“What? Spit it out!”  
“I…”, the physician rubbed her neck and Erwin sighed, apparently the one who found his big boy pants first – as usual.  
“You’re not going to come with us. I’ll go with Eren and you will stay here.”  
The words had Levi jumping from his spot in Eren’s lap. “Are you kidding me? What’s that supposed to mean?!”

The low rumble that hummed in the alpha’s chest in the next second drew all of their eyes in but Eren just stared at Erwin, probably not even aware he was growling again.  
“Shit, sorry Eren. Calm down.”  
Levi patted his head carefully and leaned in to rub their cheeks together, slowly sinking back into his lap and the alpha eventually blinked the haze away and looked at the small model, a smile on his face and a low ‘mhmm?’ sounding from his lips.

“That should answer your question. I’m aware that you will be both uncomfortable when separated but it’s only a short while and we had planned to do so for your photo shoot anyways. If you’re with him, he’s too attuned to your emotions and we can’t risk another scene because something upsets you Levi.”, explained Hange carefully. “We also have the gland patches to keep him focused throughout the interview.”  
“What, you think he can’t keep his braincells together when he’s not with me, but you still want him to go without me?”  
“Eh, no, but…”  
Erwin groaned, and the physician snapped her mouth shut, shooting an apologetic look in the managers direction.

“What the fuck are you not telling me shitty brows?”  
A heavy sigh fell from his friend’s mouth and he leaned back against the cushions and rubbed his eyes as if suddenly incredibly tired.  
“The host…”  
“What about the damn host?”  
“Krista Lenz…”

Levi’s eyes went wide and his body stiff. He looked from Erwin to Hange and back to the tall man, while his breathing increased drastically.  
“You– What– “  
He clenched his hands into tight little fists and shook his head resolutely, before he got up to take his leave.  
“No! Fucking NO! Absolutely fucking not, you fucking fucktards! You’re not going to put Eren into a room with another omega!”

 

~~~

 

Okay, he got it. He had freaked out when Mikasa had been here and she was a beta, just a pretty face to look at, not an omega who could cloud Eren with a dose of enticing pheromones. Of course he wouldn’t be able to keep his shit together if the alpha went there to sit in front of the petite blonde with his bright smile and his green eyes while she batted her lashes at him. Because she would, wouldn’t she?

Eren was handsome and nice and funny and a fucking alpha who had already demonstrated his protective instincts in public and while the whole beta world seemed to think that the brunette was to some extent insane, Levi knew that every omega would be swooning from looking at that shit just as much as he had. That’s how they worked.

Yes, they needed this interview. It was probably not going to make or break the whole endeavor to save his name, but they couldn’t be picky either and while a whole lot of newspapers and tabloids had sent their request for interviews, _'_ _Chat avec Krista’_ had been the only television show that had reached out for them.

Seeing Eren talk and smile naturally instead of just reading his words on a website or page of paper made a huge difference. He was an alpha and just like Erwin had said, that came with certain charms like his perfect build, silky hair and sparkling eyes. Levi had no doubt that people would fall all over themselves if they saw the brunette in a relaxed setting, not growling at officers in the open street.  
And still, it just didn’t sit right with him.

That Eren had become awfully mute on the whole topic hadn’t helped to soothe Levi’s worries but fanned them like a huge gust of wind, sweeping through a smoldering forest to set every fucking tree on fire.  
He couldn’t help but wonder if the alpha had similar thoughts, had qualms about seeing the blonde host because he wasn’t sure if he would fall for her charms. She was an omega and in contrary to Levi, she was female, complete with a pretty face, moderately sized breasts and there was certainly no cock dangling between her legs.

All in all, Levi felt as if he was looking at a crash test, seeing the car speeding towards a wall, knowing that there would be an impact but still hoping that the stupid thing would vanish in the last second.

Levi felt, that he would lose.

Lose as an omega, lose Eren, lose everything that had only started to bud between them after a few, short, chaotic weeks and it _hurt_.  
Their complicated relationship wasn’t built on years of trust and knowing each other. It had been short and turbulent so far, but he had slept with Eren and it had been a conscious decision that he had stalled beforehand because he hadn’t been sure if he was ready to commit to so much so quickly.

Then he had made up his mind. He had given in and with it, he had agreed to be Eren’s, thinking that Eren would be his in return but out of all the god damn people in the world who wanted to have an interview with him, it had to be the single fucking omega working in television in probably all of Europe.

Maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. Maybe that was exactly the reason why she had requested his presence in the first place. Not because of Eren being the hot topic, but because of him having the right dynamic to suit her wishes.  
She had seen him in the papers or on tv and her stupid little omega brain had short circuited and made her annoy her staff and producers until they agreed to invite him, and Levi would serve _his_ alpha on a silver platter to them.

And how could he fault her? He wasn’t known to be an omega. He was a man and there was no public statement on their relationship. He should probably be happy, that the young alpha hadn’t received fan mail from all over the country yet.

He huffed in annoyance and curled deeper into the pile of blankets and pillows that piled on his bed – curtesy of Eren, as his mind reminded him eagerly.  
Feeling insecure wasn’t part of Levi’s personality but recently, he found himself out of ideas at any given moment.

He wanted to trust Eren, he did. He was sure, that in some way, the alpha really liked him, wasn’t just tailing him like a love-sick puppy because of his pheromones but those things could be fleeting, and their new relationship hadn’t had any time to establish itself.  
Could he really fault the alpha, if he met a cute, young omega and fell head over heels for a different fragrance? Wasn’t that likely to happen?

Levi had the wrong gender and he was a sinking ship, currently falling from grace, about to lose his company and causing nothing but trouble for the alpha.  
Fuck, Eren had almost gotten _shot_ and the media had a constant eye on the brunette to scrutinize and dissect every single snippet of his life – all because of Levi.

Rubbing his tired eyes, he gave up on trying to sleep. He didn’t need to look good for anyone during the next day. No photos, no interviews, no guests and even if anything would come up, he wasn’t really giving a shit.

The evening had drained him, but he was sure he would face a long streak of insomnia, now that Eren had decided to sleep in his own bed again.  
Not that Levi had been particularly inviting after his departure from their conversation in early evening, locking himself up in his room for most of the evening without so much as another word until the night had fallen and he had given up on his poor attempts to read in favor of catching some shut eye.

Well, hadn’t that worked out just wonderfully.

Opening the door, he peeked into the hallway and listened for a moment, before he left his room and ventured to the lower level of the apartment. The alpha was probably asleep, and Levi walked on silent soles to make sure that he wouldn’t wake him.

For naught, as it seemed, because the first thing he spotted in the living room when he switched on the light, was a brown mop of hair on the armrest of one of his sofas.  
He wanted to turn around, almost about to hit the switch again and cast darkness over the room once more, when a low sigh reached his ears, followed by a rough voice.  
“Can’t sleep?”

Biting his lower lip, he hummed, walking closer and rounding the couch, to look at the alpha. “You?”  
Eren chuckled and it sounded bitter, his face almost looking pained. “How could I? The house reeks of tormented omega.”

Levi swallowed and nodded, his eyes darting away in embarrassment, before he couldn’t refrain from casting another glance at the tall man, who was sprawled on the cushions, one of his arms bent behind his head, the other resting on his stomach.  
Even now, Eren looked so utterly perfect, almost relaxed.

“We could talk about it, you know?” The alpha propped himself up on his elbows in the next moment, before he sat up completely, turning to the small model and drawing him between his spread knees with a gentle tug on his hips.  
“You could tell me what bothers you so much and why you locked yourself away. Why you smell like this…”

His long fingers rubbed soothing circles into Levi’s sides and he cocked his head. “Or we could cuddle… Watch a movie…”  
The omega squirmed slightly but Eren just continued talking, never faltering in his caress. “I could make some food. You must be hungry…”  
He leaned forward and pressed a short kiss on Levi’s covered stomach and the model released an amused huff, strangely relaxed just from the few words after hours of wallowing in insecurities and self-pity.

Eren’s scent was soothing, his hands gentle and warm and before he knew it, Levi had buried his slim digits in the brown strands and scratched his scalp tenderly.  
“I’m scared.”

His low words brought the alpha to a halt and the brunette looked up, his eyes soft and his smile careful but encouraging. “Why?”  
“The omega…”  
Eren hummed in response, leaning further until his cheek rested on Levi’s belly and his arms closed around his waist. “Me too.”

Levi gulped around the lump in his throat, cursing himself internally when he felt his eyes water. This wasn’t him. He knew Eren only for a few weeks and now he was about to cry, coaxed into wailing because the alpha had confirmed all his worries and fears. He hadn’t signed up for this shit.

But the brunette didn’t need to hear him sob for him to suddenly remove his head from Levi’s stomach and look up at him with wide eyes.  
The omega stank, and his body trembled from suppressing the harsh breaths he felt in need to inhale hastily now.  
“Levi, what– Oh god, why are you crying?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, just pulled the omega down until he was folded in Eren’s lap and the young man caressed his back, his hair, a calming rumble spreading from his chest, the vibrations seeping through Levi’s body.  
“Shhh… Hey… What’s wrong?”

“You– “, a hiccupped sob fled from his lips as soon as he had started to talk, and Levi buried his face in Eren’s shirt, feeling how tears finally rolled down his cheeks. “You– You think…”  
“What…? What do I think…?”, he gently pried the omega from his chest to look at his red eyes and wipe the wet stains from his face.  
“You will… want her?”

“What?”  
Eren’s expression morphed into one of complete confusion, then understanding and ultimately shock. It had taken the alpha a moment to understand what Levi was even talking about and when it hit him, he felt like a complete idiot.  
After recalling the disaster with Mikasa in the late afternoon, he should have known just how severe the topic was for Levi but that the model considered the omega host he was going to meet as a rival hadn’t even crossed his mind after everything they both had shared.

“God, fuck, no!”, he pulled the small man in and tucked Levi’s head under his chin, pressing him to his chest as closely as possible. “Only you.”  
The omega sniffled shakily and Eren shivered just from how wrong it was to see Levi so tiny and sad and frightened instead of watching him spew profanities and look like a walking wet dream, cast from marble.

“But you…”, small hands fisted into the fabric of Eren’s shirt and he rubbed his chin against the black strands of his mate. “You said you’re scared…”  
“Well yes. Of going ape shit from smelling an omega for example and killing every last chance of success with another public stunt. I’m not even sure if I will be able to endure her. The first thing I thought… No, that’s wrong… I felt, that I don’t want to be next to another omega when I heard it earlier.”

Levi finally looked up with wide, gray eyes and Eren grinned before he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the model’s forehead.  
“You think I’m that easy? You gotta take an alpha to dinner before you get his knot, you know?”  
“Asshole.”, the small man boxed his shoulder and the brunette chuckled.  
“Ah, there’s my mate…”

The light flush on Levi’s cheeks didn’t pass him by and Eren leaned forward to reach the model’s ear, his voice low when he whispered playfully. “Since you already fed me several times, I’d be happy to give it to you…”  
The wave of aroused scent from the omegas glands hit him full force with his face still next to Levi’s neck and he closed his eyes briefly, mouthing a kiss on the pale column.

The small man shivered in his lap, his moan so soft that Eren barely heard it but it only urged him to continue, greedy to hear more of Levi’s voice and shove the negative thoughts of the evening aside.  
He didn’t want to ponder over what the omega had said, just wanted to taste the sweet scent and soothe all the worries away.  
Levi’s and his own.

He hadn’t lied, had been bothered by his own fears of being unable to control himself when it came to it and not a single second had he wondered, if Krista’s scent would be able to have a positive effect on him, an alluring and enticing one.  
It was the small model who had raised the question and brought it to the forefront of his mind and the alpha just… didn’t know.

Didn’t know what his dynamic, his instincts would do to him when the time came but right here, right now, all he wanted was his mate and the selfish desire to indulge more and hide his worries grew stronger with every second that the omega moaned into his ear and pressed himself against his body, their arousal soon much more potent than the distress in their scent, fooling both of them into believing that the other one was alright.

Eren wasn’t. He was scared, more so than before he had spoken with the model but when Levi’s lips found his and a small, sweet tongue dove into his mouth, he closed his eyes and ignored the insistent voice in the back of his head, in favor of feeling the perfect being in his arms.  
The omega was everything he wanted, his body, his scent, his sharp mouth and maybe Eren didn’t need to worry about it after all, because when he finally sunk into Levi’s slim body, whispering gentle praise into his ear, he was sure that nothing would ever be able to compete with the swell of his heart in this very moment.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello :) I know, this took forever but I was on vacation for a little bit and couldn't update. The chapter is a little longer though, so I hope that makes up for it and the next chapter for [A God's Heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038297/chapters/34862720) is almost done too :)
> 
> Rereading it, I almost feel as if it's a filler chapter, but I swear it's not! All of it has a reason! (Okay, I also wanted to write some more smut. Sorry, not sorry :P I will sprinkle that in here and there every few chapters whenever it fits.) I hope my made up scientific mumbo-jumbo isn't going to be too confusing, but - as you might guess - all of this stuff is going to play some part in the story later on ;D
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you again for all your lovely comments and your support, it's overwhelming. Also: 600 Kudos! What is happening? :D You are the best, seriously :)

Eren chuckled lowly into the receiver while he listened to Armin – spluttering and swearing at him and cursing the next ten generations of his bloodline, going as far as calling upon pagan gods he only knew from old German fairytales.  
Maybe he should have started his call differently than confessing his newfound relationship with Levi and even hesitantly admitting to their intimate moments after being cornered by Armin’s insistent questions.

Now, his friend was apparently going through the five stages of grief, having left denial behind and currently fighting through anger.  
_“This is so… so unfair! You don’t even like that stuff!”_  
“What? Celebrities?”  
_“Yes!!”_

The alpha huffed in amusement, shaking his head unbeknownst to Armin and ran his free hand through his chaotic hair. “You’re telling me that a model should only date his fans? Would that be fair?”

Armin was sulking now, meeting Eren’s disarming words with silence for a few moments, before he let another wave of reasons wash over the brunette, explaining why Levi would really, _really_ be better off with someone else – so the blonde had moved on to bargaining, Eren guessed it was better than nothing.

“Aren’t you happy for me?”  
He couldn’t contain a smile when Armin didn’t speak again, knowing that his friend was already faltering. It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t get over it. The blonde didn’t know Levi well, didn’t really love him, just gushed about his looks every chance he got, and the model was only one of many on a long list of celebrity crushes.  
A fact that Armin conveniently seemed to have forgotten for the moment.

 _“Fine…”,_ muttered his friend eventually, accompanied by an indignant sound and Eren chuckled yet again, closing his eyes for a moment to comprehend the things he had just told Armin himself.

Levi was his omega, his _mate_.  
Saying that they were dating or calling the small man his boyfriend just didn’t cut it, couldn’t grasp the meaning of what was truly happening between them and Eren knew what his courting was ultimately leading to.

One day, Levi would be his and his alone.  
Their dynamic didn’t change partners, he felt it in his bones that their bond would last a lifetime and no relationship would ever be able to compete with the deep connection they would build.  
Eren would be by his side until his dying day and Levi would do the same. They would create a family, the omega would carry his children and the young man would witness how the pure miracle that was Levi, would bring more miracles into this world.  
Despite the immediate and future challenges that lay ahead, Eren was happy, was proud that the small man had decided to be with him after they had come so close to lose each other.

“ _So what does that mean exactly?”,_ interrupted the small blonde his thoughts and the alpha shrugged to himself.  
“A lot and not much at all, I guess. It’s hard to explain…”  
Leaning back against the headboard, he pondered for a moment how exactly he was supposed to describe their relationship, before he continued.  
“For now, we’re just... a couple? But… ultimately Levi will have to decide if I’m really worthy to be his mate and if he wants to…”, Eren scratched the back of his head. “You know… If he wants to bond with me.”

“ _Like marriage?”_  
“Yes… No. Something like that. I’ve been reading about it a lot the last days. It’s got a lot of biological implications, especially for the omega. It’s a huge decision for him, one he can’t back out of.”  
A sigh slipped from his lips, before he began to bite them – it seemed that he had started to pick up the habit from Levi.  
“I think it will take time for him, with his last marriage gone bad and all, but it’s not like I can give him years and years to come to a decision. Our dynamics will go haywire in the meantime.”

“ _That’s awfully fast, don’t you think? It has been… three weeks? Four?”_  
“I know…”  
“ _You seem pretty calm about it._ ”  
He nodded slowly, before he shifted the phone to his other ear. “I am, to be honest. It feels right. I’ve spent the first two weeks freaking out about how fast things progressed, how much I wanted him after only a few days. It seemed… crazy. I still don’t know him very well and I learn new things about him on a daily basis, but…”

“ _But?_ ”, insisted Armin after a few seconds of silence.  
“But… The way I feel in his presence, what it does to me is something I never experienced before and I just… I know that it doesn’t have an expiration date. I know that this feeling will never change, no matter if our political beliefs clash or our diet or our tastes.”

He heard Armin’s skeptical huff and sighed, understanding how ridiculous his explanation must have sounded and how little foundation it was for a lifelong commitment, but he couldn’t find better words to describe the way Levi influenced him, made him whole.  
Their dynamics couldn’t make them fall in love, but would always draw them towards each other and – in case they decided to allow it – connect them deeply. Their bodies, their thoughts and their feelings, forever entwined and filling the places inside of them that only their opposite gender could touch.

Eren didn’t doubt, that he would always want Levi this way and that the combination of their dynamics would strengthen their feelings further, would always help to bridge the gaps between their personalities.  
Knowing that his firm conviction would soon be put to the test by meeting another omega had frightened him at first but with every passing day, he grew more certain that the interview would reveal, what he already felt in his heart.

That Levi was an omega, wasn’t the sole reason for Eren’s attraction to the small man. He wasn’t one of many, someone who had gained the alphas attention because of his dynamic alone.  
The model was the right one, the _only_ omega for him. Something the brunette had seemingly always known, considering how often he had thought that Levi was made for him.

Besides, while Eren had endured the confusing onslaught of his secondary gender from the very first second he had met the omega, Levi had only recently been falling more and more into the clutches of his dynamic.  
The alpha knew what it was like. That the small man probably felt vulnerable and confused about the sudden bouts of possessiveness and insecurity, the emotional rollercoaster that left Levi in tears more often than the brunette was willing to accept.

Eren wanted to be at his side, just the same way Levi had been at his when he had freaked out and grown aggressive or distressed.  
With compassion and tenderness and a strong hand, holding the omegas and leading him through it.

“ _Just don’t make any impulsive decisions. We both know that you tend to jump into things head first._ ”  
About to protest, Armin cut him off with a tone so serious, it stunned Eren for a second. “ _If not for yourself, then at least for Levi. Think about what it would mean for him as an omega, if things don’t work out. You just told me there is no going back._ ”

The alpha swallowed heavily, nodding and confirming his friends request with a whispered ‘ _Okay.’_ , before they left the topic behind and moved on to Eren’s upcoming appearance on French television.  
It was only another two days, before he was going to be interviewed by the petite blonde, who had invited him to her show and he grew more nervous with every passing second.  
Not because of her dynamic, but simply from being worried, that he would blow it and ruin Levi’s reputation even further.

Erwin had assured him, that he didn’t need to be afraid and given him a rough outline of the questions that were supposed to come up, instructing him to think about what he wanted to answer and letting him know that they would go through it again together, for Eren to receive some pointers where he did mistakes, raised too many new questions or revealed too much.

The manager had told him, that he should be prepared for spontaneous questions as well, but there was no need to worry about those either. The show wasn’t live but preproduced and cut later the same day, giving them the opportunity to remove parts that didn’t sit well with them.  
There was basically just one single thing, he had to avoid under all circumstances: Freaking out or ‘ _going all alpha_ ’ as Hange had put it, because while Erwin assured him that the contracts were iron clad and contained too many financial penalties for the channel to risk violating them under normal circumstances, he was sure that the program would accept to pay the fines if they got headlines about another of Eren’s outbursts – Nicely presented under perfect lighting with high quality film cameras.

No matter what happened, he had to keep it together – everything else, Erwin would handle, even if Eren decided that he needed to stop in the middle of the filming to avoid a disaster.  
All things considered, the alpha felt well supported and prepared after signing a giant pile of agreements that regulated everything from his looks to his rights, granting Erwin and Eren the last word on every single second that would be broadcasted.  
Without the manager – the brunette was sure – he would have stammered through the whole ordeal, only for the worst scenes to be cut together and paint an even more horrendous image of himself. Now they weren’t even allowed to cut his answers without consulting Erwin, to make sure that none of Eren’s statements would be taken out of context.

It certainly helped to have the experienced manager of an international supermodel on your side – even if said manager had previously punched you in the face and would probably rather gut himself than ever apologize for it.

Unfortunately, Armin seemed to come to the same conclusions as the model, the first question from him being how Eren felt about his interview partner, but the alpha played the current hot topic between him and Levi down, while secretly hoping, that all his grand declarations would prove to be true in the end.

“ _I really hope you know what you’re doing._ ”, was Armin’s last comment before they ended the call and Eren thought, that he really hoped the same.

 

~~~

 

“I think you got that wrong. Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be the other way around.”  
Levi rolled his eyes, before he seated himself beside Eren, who had currently abandoned his work on one of the gazillion interviews he had been flooded with by newspapers, in favor of peeking into the sleek giftbox, containing an equally delicate belt.  
“Fine, give it back. I will return it.”  
“What?!”

The alpha stared at him wide-eyed, pressing the box to his chest, as if he expected the model to rip it from his clutch. “You can’t take it back!”  
Watching Eren’s exasperated outburst, the model chuckled. “I’m messing with you, dimwit.”  
The young man relaxed visibly and loosened his hold on the gift to cast another look at the expensive accessory. “Ah… Well, thank you.”  
“Don’t mention it.”

His fingers ran over the smooth leather for a moment, feeling it’s texture, before he looked back at Levi, a curious expression on his face. “But why are you giving me this? I’m the one supposed to make presents to you.”  
“That’s a little outdated, don’t you think? Or do you expect omegas to clean the house and cook and raise the children while they wait for their alpha to come home?”  
“What? Of course not!”, Eren dropped the box next to himself on the couch, before turning to Levi and grasping his hands. “That’s ridiculous, I would never want an omega to be stuck with such a backward way of living.”  
“But the alpha has to make the gifts and the omega can’t. That’s not antiquated?”

The brunette sighed dramatically, his staged indignation betrayed by the corner of his lips curling into a smile.  
“Fiiiine. And to what do I owe the pleasure of receiving a gift from you?”  
Snorting at first, Levi fell silent soon after, avoiding Eren’s eyes, as a slight blush crept into his cheeks.  
“Well… You destroyed yours the other day? You know, when you bit into it.”  
The omega cleared his throat, pointing at the box, before he searched Eren’s eyes again, trying to ignore the wide grin that was plastered on the alpha’s face, as he remembered the incident, that had caused the demise of his belt.  
“Don’t do that again though. This one was expensive.”

“I don’t think I can promise that…”, murmured Eren, mischief glinting in his eyes, before he leaned forward and nipped on Levi’s jaw right above his collar, his hands gently starting to run up and down his sides.  
“Eren, wait.”, the model already felt himself melt into the alphas embrace from the few simple touches, even though his mind was struggling with the advances. The young man had a ton of things to do and they had abandoned their work a little too often in the last days, to cater to their libido.  
Besides, it wasn’t as if Levi didn’t have enough to take care of as well.

His protests falling on deaf ears, he pushed weakly on Eren’s shoulders, but the tall man only crowded him further, caging his small body with his arms, before he pulled the omega closer to tease Levi’s collar bones with his teeth, kiss his cheek and nuzzle his throat.  
“You’re fucking insatiable.”  
The playful ministrations stopped, and the alpha leaned back, his eyes holding Levi’s gaze before he nodded, his expression as serious, as if he was swearing an oath.  
“Yes.”

His nose dove right back into the crook of Levi’s neck to deeply inhale the omegas scent and the small man felt Eren’s lips on his ear in the next second, whispering between tender kisses.  
“Have you looked in the mirror lately? There’s no way I could ever get tired of this…”  
Levi groaned in response to the cheesy statement, while his heart fluttered, and his face burned. He could try to cover it up all he wanted, but his body betrayed him constantly in the last days, playing on Eren’s team rather than his own and showing the alpha at any time, how the model truly felt, no matter how much he tried to deny it with words.

It wasn’t as if Levi hated to be complimented. The mushy stuff just wasn’t his style, but he didn’t have a say in how much he reveled in it, whenever the alpha was the one uttering sappy words and clichéd praises.  
Where the omega would have wrinkled his nose about someone even trying to approach him this way, he swooned when it was Eren who did it and he hadn’t quite decided yet if it was annoying him or not, that his dynamic simply overwrote his actual personality. Then again, his gender was part of his personality too, wasn’t it?

Eren didn’t give him time to delve much further into these thoughts, his hand suddenly on Levi’s skin under his shirt, that he had tugged from his waistband in a swift move, while the other unbuttoned his pants.  
“Eren– “  
Whatever he had wanted to say was silenced by soft lips, covering his own and parting them with an insistent but tender tongue. Levi sighed into the pliant mouth, already drowning in the mixture of their aroused scents and the alpha didn’t hesitate to pull his pants down, before his fingers sneaked between the omegas legs.

“Look how wet you are…”  
The small man groaned as Eren caressed his delicate rim, already leaking and craving the alpha, only dripping more with every word from the brunette. “Do you want me to take care of you…?”  
“Yes, _please_.”  
Feeling a shiver running down his spine, Levi gasped as Eren’s fingertip breached him slowly, his touch gentle and careful, but with purpose.

“So tight…”, whispered the alpha, leaning down again to capture Levi’s lips in another kiss while his digit stretched him slowly, covered in slick, surrounded by his omegas velvety heat.  
Levi was always so ready for him. So open and beautiful and perfect, so wet and warm and Eren listened intently to the soft moaning and panting that spilled from his mouth, even though the models scent told him everything he needed to know.

He hummed lowly, when another wave of aroused fragrance burst from Levi’s glands, showing him that he was touching the small man just right, as he caressed his inner walls, his thumb gingerly tracing the soft rim around his finger that was deeply buried inside the omega.

The alpha lifted Levi’s shirt further until he revealed his pale chest, his free hand reaching for one of the pink nubs to draw circles around it, while he bent down to run his tongue over the other, feeling how it stiffened and giving it a gentle bite that had the omega groan in response.

“More?”  
A hasty nod was all he got as an answer, before he returned his attention to the hardened nipple, sucking on it slowly, as he ran a second finger along Levi’s leaking entrance, coating it with the sweet slick that was dripping from it and running down his thighs.  
Pushing in carefully, he watched his mate who’s flush deepened, mouth opening to draw in shaky breaths. The omega was a sight to behold at any given moment but Eren found him the most beautiful like this, when he surrendered himself, accepted to be seen so vulnerable, not because he was weak, but because he trusted him.

His free hand never ceased its playful caress of Levi’s chest, the other penetrating him slowly when his lips returned to the omegas to place tender kisses on his mouth and he heard how Levi’s breath hitched as he curled his fingers inside of him, pupils blown wide, the silky tunnel tightening around his digits.

“Again…”  
The word was nothing but a breathy whisper, still, Eren understood and thrust into the omega with bent fingers aided by his slick, feeling the ripple of Levi’s flesh around them. He added another, the model easily loosening around the intrusion, his sweet little hole stretched wider and wider, while Eren continued to caress his insides and lavish his face with kisses and the alpha knew, he had spoken the truth.  
He would never get tired of this.

Of the sounds falling from Levi’s mouth, the way his breath quickened, and his back arched beneath him, or the darkening eyes under hooded lids, white teeth sinking into his bottom lip to suppress his moans, while a blush spread over his body and his fragrance filled in the air.

“Perfect…”  
His voice was just as low and breathless as the omegas, but the small man heard it all the same, smiled for a moment, before Eren’s deft fingers pulled another groan from him and the alpha felt Levi’s shaft twitch against his own, constricted by too many layers of clothing.  
He increased his pace slightly, still far from fucking his mate with his digits, but just enough to send those wonderful jolts of pleasure through the omegas body a little more often.

Eren’s thumb continued to caress a sensitive nipple when he bent down and pressed a kiss to Levi’s small ear, whispering with a sultry tone as Levi bent his neck further to chase the gland on his alphas throat with his nose. “You’re so beautiful when you come…”  
His words had the small man writhing beneath him, the little _ah, ah, ah’s_ becoming louder and more frequent, the longer he rubbed his wet fingers against Levi’s insides, thrusting in and out of his stretched, pink hole.

“Please show me… I want to see you come…”  
Levi moaned loudly at that, all inhibitions gone and Eren picked up the pace yet again, burying his digits inside of the omega hard and fast a few times, before the small body of his mate stiffened under his ministrations, and the model spilled his seed on his stomach with a choked whimper.

Watching the last erratic twitches of his body, the alpha sighed dreamily, as he looked down at the omega, Levi just staring at him with glazed eyes, before Eren withdrew his hand carefully, smiling when he heard the model mewling softly in return.  
Despite the strong desire to do so, he refrained from licking his fingers clean, knowing that the delicious taste of Levi’s slick would only turn him on even more and the small man was obviously spent for the moment.

 _Later_ , he told himself with a knowing smile. He would give his mate all the rest he needed, aware that the next time the omega allowed him to feel his beautiful body around his cock, would be all the sweeter for it.

 

~~~

 

“Awww, look at our newest celebrity! Well, and Levi.”  
The omega blinked his eyes open, glaring at Hange who didn’t bother to pay attention to his vicious stare, as she plopped down on the other couch, before the memories of the early afternoon flooded his brain and his eyes widened, his gaze wandering downwards.

He was lying on his back, a soft blanket snugly tucked in around him and his head rested on something warm – Eren’s lap as far as he could tell, considering that one of the alphas arms was draped over his chest.  
Lifting the cover as unsuspiciously as possible, he tried to cast a quick look below it, before Eren’s amused chuckle stopped him and his mate bent down until his lips were close to Levi’s ear, his voice too low for Hange to understand.  
“Don’t worry, you’re dressed and clean.”

The model nodded dumbfounded, his cheeks turning red, before he shook the awkward moment off and cleared his throat, sitting up next to resume his angry glare.  
“What do you want now, you goddamn lunatic?”  
“Believe it or not, I’m here because of Eren. The world doesn’t evolve around you, munchkin.”

Levi could feel how his left eyelid began to twitch – another thing the physician ignored completely, who was already beginning to pull things form her bag, dumping more and more shit on his couch in order to find what she was searching for.  
Turning the whole thing upside down would have probably been the faster solution, leaving the same amount of chaos behind. Or less. Hange made a bigger mess than a hurricane, even when she purposely set things aside one by one.

“Don’t worry, shorty, I’ve got something for you too.”  
He snatched the tablet from her fingers as soon as she stretched her arm over the table and felt how Eren tensed slightly next to him, growing more alert. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to calm down, reminding himself how even the smallest mood swings could influence the alpha in a negative way. He may be annoyed by Hange, but he didn’t want her to get crushed by Eren’s fist.

“That’s why I’m here!”, she pointed at the young man, her voice chipper, before she produced a medical bag from her purse, making a show of presenting it to them. “New suppressants!”  
“Already? How?”, the alpha was almost at his feet upon hearing her words and the physician grinned all too pleased with herself.  
“I know, I know, I’m a genius. I got the idea after our last visit. That you started banging our little cupcake helped me immensely with developing this marvel of medicine.”

“ _Hange!_ ”  
The pair looked at each other, as soon as the name had left both their mouths simultaneously, before Eren broke out in a grin and Levi huffed with fake annoyance.  
“Whatever. What’s so marvelous about his new suppressants?”  
She giggled for a moment, stretching Levi’s patience endlessly, before she smiled triumphantly. “It will control his outbursts!”

“ _Really?_ ”  
The brunette woman screamed with laughter now and Levi and Eren stared at each other dumbfounded after speaking at the same time _again_ , before the omega rolled his eyes, waiting for the physician to be done with her fit.  
Lifting her glasses, she wiped a few tears away, before she finally managed to get her act together and nodded.

“It’s easy, actually. You know how omegas are not responsive to other alphas when they get bonded, right?”  
Both nodded and Hange leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Well it isn’t exactly the same for alphas. Technically, they can take several mates.”  
The words had Levi stiffen and Eren’s worried eyes were on him immediately, reaching for his hand to give it a tender squeeze. They both knew, that the model had spent the last days with worries about Eren meeting another omega soon and Hange’s words didn’t help to soothe him. Even if the alpha chose to be with Levi at some point and Levi did the same, there was no guarantee that they would stay this way – exclusive – for the rest of their lives and the model wouldn’t be able to back out of the whole ordeal, if he ever changed his mind after a bonding.

“It’s rare though.”, continued the physician unperturbed, even though she must have seen the way the omega tensed. For someone who knew him for so long, it didn’t need the ability to pick up his scent to know, what was going on inside of Levi’s head.  
“Historical records show that it has always been rare, even in times where omegas were a lot more common. So, I wondered… Do bonded omegas subdue their alphas instincts to some extend as well? Their drive to stick it into everything that smells right for example?”

Eren made an indignant sound but the small man was all ears, slightly leaning in now, as if he couldn’t get enough of the physician’s explanation.  
“And the answer is: Ding, Ding, Ding – 100 points for Hange!”  
Clapping her hands together, she grinned again, pointing at Levi now with excitement written all over her face. “You are his mate. You haven’t bonded but you did the deed and his body is attuning to you on a different level now, chemistry and all. I did some research and most of those horribly ancient experts agreed, that the pheromones of a bonded omega have a strong impact on their alpha, so I thought: How about I try to trick Eren’s body into believing that you are bonded to him, off the market basically. No more need for all that growling and hissing.”

“You managed to do that?”  
She shrugged, an innocent expression on her face. “We won’t know before we try but I have a good feeling. Luckily, I had a huge consortium of bodily fluids from Levi, containing all kinds of hormones and pheromones and whatnot. I can’t synthesize the chemicals he would carry if he was actually bonded since I don’t know them, but we wouldn’t need this kind of suppressants if that was the case anyways.”

“And you think that’s safe?”, interrupted the omega. What Hange was doing for him was illegal on so many levels, none of her concoctions tested and cleared in a national or international institution but he had always known that he carried this risk, just as he held her career in the palm of his hands.  
He had told her to create new suppressants for the alpha, but that didn’t mean that he agreed with Eren taking the same route and injecting medicine that wasn’t checked properly beforehand.

The young man seemed to wonder the same, albeit for completely different reasons. “Yeah, the new batch of suppressants you gave me last time has been mixed according to my alpha registry, no? It took me years to adjust my drugs properly. Are you sure I can just take something new without drawbacks?”

“Yes and yes.”  
Levi cocked a brow and Hange gesture wildly, searching for an easy explanation. “I used your old suppressants as a basis, the most important addition being the components I synthesized from Levi’s fluids, so your medicine will work as usual. I didn’t make something from scratch or used any substances that differ from the international standards. If something bad happens or you freak out again and your blood gets tested, it will contain all the right ingredients and you’re covered by the Lisbon protocols.”

“Great…”, murmured the alpha and Hange nodded enthusiastically.  
“Best case, nothing happens, because your grouchy self is suppressed as well, thanks to Levi’s magical omega chemistry!”  
“And the worst case?”, sighed the model and the physician shrugged in response.  
“Well, nothing happens. The components can’t influence his organism in such a profound way or overpower biological mechanisms. They work on the surface or they don’t – either way, they get flushed out at the end of the day until Eren gets his next shot. We might have to adjust the doses but that’s about it.”

The physician stared at her hands for a moment, her face suddenly serious, before she cleared her throat and looked at the alpha. “There’s one thing.”  
Eren frowned, as he nodded slowly, uncertain what to expect, considering her grave expression and his hands reached for Levi’s again on instinct, already searching for his proximity whenever something didn’t sit right with him.

“I can’t fully imitate a bonding and I have no doubts that the suppressant can’t hold a candle to a real bonding, so if you ever decide to do it, you don’t need to worry about it. However, if you don’t…”  
Levi furrowed his brows when Hange avoided their gazes, staring at her hands again.  
“If you decide not to bond, to separate for good and you switch back to your regular suppressants, there could be withdrawals.”

“You mean as if…” The physician nodded as soon as Eren had spoken the words and he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to swallow around the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.  
He didn’t need to be a genius to know, what a bonding – fake or not – would feel like if it broke.  
According to the literature he had consumed lately, the only way for this kind og connection to fade, was death.

“Omegas and alphas are different. The biological impact on you is a lot smaller and you wouldn’t have to deal with the psychological aspects, considering that you would know that Levi is alive and well, but it could still be difficult for your body, because it will definitely crave the connection you’ve lost. It’s still the best I can come up with at the moment, but whatever you do, take some time to think about it.”

The alpha sighed, leaning back into the cushions before he looked at his mate, but the small man averted his eyes, knowing that he wouldn’t be the best source of advice for the brunette. His dynamic was pleased with the idea of tying the brunette to himself further and he understood, that he couldn’t be impartial.

Eren stared at the medical bag she had placed in front of him, wondering what the right call would be to make. He had considered how deeply affected Levi would be if they ever decided to bond, what drawbacks it could have if things didn’t work out for them but now he was directly at the receiving end of that question himself, not sure if he was ready to be so dependent on the small man.

Deciding to use the suppressants practically meant to decide to bond with Levi at some point, otherwise the consequences could be dire and while he had known full well that his decision to court the model would ultimately lead to this point, he was suddenly overwhelmed with having to deal with it immediately.

Because it wasn’t a bond. It was something wrong and chemically induced and Levi could just decide to turn away from all of this, leaving Eren behind to fight the aftermath. He had read an endless amount of material concerning the topic in the last days, watched YouTube videos and worked through the books Hange had left for him and he knew that, while it wasn’t the norm, a lot of records mentioned that alphas could lose their mind if separated from their mate.  
Even if it didn’t destroy his sanity, who knew if he wouldn’t revert to his overly aggressive state, no longer controllable due to Levi’s absence?

Searching for Levi’s hand again, he entwined their fingers and the small man finally looked at him, his lips pressed into a thin line, as if he tried to hold himself back from speaking.  
It was risky, but Eren wondered if he didn’t owe it to the omega to use the suppressants, if they truly helped to reign in his sudden outbursts. His antics had caused Levi’s career to tank, threatening to destroy everything he worked for, because he had decided to be with the brunette and Eren felt nothing but grateful for that.  
Maybe it was his turn to repay the model for sticking with him despite all the problems the alpha had caused. In the end, Levi would face the exact same risks if he bonded with Eren and things went south.

Would it really be so bad to depend on the omega? Wasn’t that what he wanted anyways?

“You’re sure this works…?”  
Hange shrugged, adjusting her glasses. “Like I said, we won’t know until we try and don’t worry, you’re not going to lose your alpha instincts completely. There are things not even a bond would be able to reign in.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well, you’ll still freak out if someone attacks Levi or harms him. It’s natural to do that when it comes to an alphas mate but you’re very sensitive at the moment, because of the chance that someone could claim him before you. Your dynamic is basically showing off for Levi to prove that you’re the best choice for him. The suppressants should keep that in check, make you less agitated or susceptible to his mood swings.”

Nodding, he reached for the medical bag with his free hand, squeezing Levi’s with his other that was still holding his small, pale fingers. “I’ll try it.”  
He almost didn’t register Hange’s excited squeal as the overwhelming contentment in Levi’s scent suddenly filled the room and Eren smiled at the small man, receiving a tiny grin in return.

“Okay, there are two kinds of syringes – red and… well the normal ones. Use the red ones for three days, two times a day. They contain less suppressing components, so you can inject them more often to accumulate Levi’s magic a little faster in your body. We should see results quickly this way. After that, one as usual.”

As the alpha got up to place the bag in the fridge, Levi looked after him with a soft expression, before he felt Hange’s knowing stare on himself.  
“Not a word, four eyes.”  
“Whatever you say, munchkin.”, was her chipper response and the omega turned his attention to the tablet at last to unlock it, seeing that a folder full of files had already been opened, waiting for him to skim through it.

“What is that?”  
“First impressions? Erwin told me to give it to you, I guess he’ll e-mail it to you later as well.”  
Levi browsed through the contents, finding articles with the first interviews from Eren, as well as social media posts and tweets, commenting on the alpha. Even sappy YouTube clips showed up, depicting the scenes from Eren’s arrest in black and white, Levi screaming and crying for him, accompanied by mushy poem lines while tacky love songs played along with the images.

“I guess it’s working then?”  
“Seems like it. There’s still quite a large amount of negative publicity being published but Eren seems to become trendy. The first interviews have been well received.”  
The omega sighed in relief, dropping the tablet to his lap. “That’s almost too many good news in one day. Let’s hope this stuff isn’t coming with a hefty price tag.”  
“Things won’t turn out for the better, if you don’t change your attitude. You better don’t let alpha boy hear you.”

Rolling his eyes, he handed the tablet back, knowing she was right. Eren was busting his ass, trying what little he was able to do to support Levi and better his situation, and the model wouldn’t dream of dragging his enthusiasm down by telling him, that they shouldn’t be relieved just yet and it might all be for naught.  
“Don’t worry.”, his eyes wandered to the alpha as he left the kitchen again, making his way to the couch. “I’ve got my ways to keep Eren happy and motivated.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear readers! I hope I didn't scare you with my long absence, I just kind of... spontaniously moved to Canada (from Germany)… cause that's how I roll :D  
> That being said, I had extremely little time to write and the chapter isn't my favorite one but I really wanted to update so badly because I got so many comments from you guys, asking about the next chapter xD
> 
> Uh, I hope you'll like it nevertheless. We've got some brief smut, an antsy omega, a Krista who is trying too hard and... the queen is back! O_o  
> Enjoy and thanks for all your sweet comments, asking if I was doing okay. You're so lovely <3  
> Also: 100k words, yay! :)

It was almost frightening to realize just how easily he had gotten used to waking up next to Eren.  
Only a few days, but Levi couldn’t quite imagine anymore what it would be like to start the day without the feeling of a heavy arm around his waist and a warm, muscled body plastered against his back, enveloping him like a cocoon.  
The alpha was tall. Really, really tall, especially compared to Levi and he curled around the omega every night, holding and shielding him like something fragile and precious.

This specific morning, Levi realized within milliseconds that Eren was awake from the way his breath ghosted over the model’s neck and his hand on Levi’s stomach – while not moving – seemed tense as if he had to hold himself back from drawing mindless circles on the pale skin.  
And then of course, there was the throbbing, pulsing feeling _inside_ of him.

“The fuck…?”  
Levi turned slightly, just enough to cast a look over his shoulder, but the tiny movement was enough to draw a deep groan from the alpha, who’s fingers wandered from the omegas belly to grab his hip and keep him pressed tightly against himself.

In Eren’s defense, it had been bound to happen, considering that Levi had fallen asleep knotted to the brunette more often than not in the last days. So far, the young man had seemed to have removed himself from the omega afterwards or at some point during the night but apparently there was a first time for everything.  
This one being the premiere of Levi waking up impaled by Eren’s morning wood.

“I’m sorry…”  
His voice was rough and husky from sleep, but the model easily heard that the alpha was wide awake and alert, most likely caused by the sensation of being buried inside of his mate.  
Levi made a tiny movement with his hip, which only served to pull another deep moan from the brunette, while his grip on the small man’s side tightened and the omega cleared his throat, mulling things over for a moment, before he shot another, quick look over his shoulder.  
“You want to…?”  
“God, yes.”  
Eren nuzzled the back of his head lazily, but his breath was hot and agitated and the model chuckled lowly before he nodded. “Okay.”

The alpha didn’t answer, just moved slowly, withdrawing himself and thrusting back in experimentally, leaving Levi’s body tingling. Testing how ready and perceptive the small man was, aided by his slick and last night’s release.  
The perfect glide left them both moaning simultaneously, before Eren came to a halt, sheathed deeply inside of the omega and his hand on Levi’s hip finally loosened.

“Feel good?”  
A shiver prickled on Levi’s skin just from the raspy sound of Eren’s voice and he nodded, whispered confirmation, while the alpha panted lowly from both, the feeling of the tight heat around him as well as restraining himself for the moment.  
He withdrew eventually, leaving the omega empty and gaping and sat up, reached out with gentle hands and turned the small man over onto his stomach, before he pulled his hips up to raise them and draped himself over Levi’s small body.

Eren’s weight, his heat, the feeling of his breath on Levi’s skin and his lips ghosting along his shoulder were comforting, but the model knew it wouldn’t play out like this.  
Maybe it was something in his aroused scent, maybe it had been the brunettes stiff posture that revealed his sense of urgency to the omega – whatever it was, Levi wasn’t surprised when Eren shoved himself into him with one fast, deep thrust and removed his chest from the model’s pale back as soon as the sound of their guttural groans faded, to straighten up and cup his smooth cheeks.

He waited patiently as the alpha stared at the spot where they were joined together, cursing under his breath, before his fingers moved on in their search to find something to hold on to and curled around Levi’s waist.  
“I’m sorry…”, repeated Eren. “It’s gonna be –“  
“I know.”

The alpha huffed, sounding almost amused, before he bent forward and buried one of his hands in Levi’s black strands. His fingers were gentle, but insistent, not taking a hold of the model’s locks but pressing his head into the mattress and the omega let him, gave himself over as Eren placed his other hand in the small of Levi’s back to force his spine into a perfect curve, an image of pure submission.  
Eren needed this and without understanding why, Levi knew and allowed it and the omega heard the smile in his mate’s voice, when he whispered behind him. “Thank you…”

The first snap of Eren’s hips was fast and harsh and the slapping sound of their connecting bodies was followed immediately by a throaty whine that spilled from Levi’s mouth and didn’t cease, only picked up in volume again and again with every new thrust that shoved him deeper into the mattress.

It was rough, almost desperate, but the alpha wasn’t lost, wasn’t gone like in the first night and hadn’t relinquished control over his own body.  
Levi’s small fingers reached back aimlessly, to feel and touch, but the brunette grabbed his wrist before he found the alpha’s strong thighs, Eren’s other hand already withdrawing from the omega’s inky locks to snatch his second arm from the covers and pull him back until Levi’s chest hovered over the mattress. Held in the air by nothing but the strong grip that drew his shoulders back while his moans kept bubbling from his throat as Eren pounded into him.

“You like that, huh?”, taunted the young man, even though his voice betrayed his composure and Levi could do nothing but groan, unable to find words when Eren slammed inside another time, making his eyes roll back and his body rock forward, almost toppling over if it wasn’t for the vise-like grip around his wrists that kept his torso up in a perfect ninety-degree angle.

“You’re still filled up from last night, but you already want another load, don’t you?”  
He let go of Levi’s wrists and the omegas chest met the mattress again, while the brunette grabbed his hips and kept fucking into him, pulling more obscene sounds from the small man.  
“Is that what you want Levi? Want me to fill you up? Here?”, he splayed the fingers of his right hand over the model’s stomach and the small man sobbed into the bedsheet below his face.  
Yes. God yes, he wanted it every single time when they had sex and Eren’s pheromones shoved the last bit of common sense out of his brain.

The sound that tumbled from his lips when the alpha reached for his cock was simply pathetic, but Levi had made peace with the fact that he lost all composure as soon as Eren put his hands on him.  
“Say it Levi.”  
He gasped from another sharp thrust and the brunette began to jerk him slowly, the tempo completely different from the way he rammed his cock into the omega with fast, hard snaps of his hip that had their skin slapping against each other.

“Come on, say it.”  
Grunting from another hard push into his abused hole, the omega shoved back, impaling himself deeper on Eren’s cock, before he pulled away to pump into the hand around his member, speeding the alpha’s fast rhythm up, turning it into something frantic.  
Levi’s voice was so throaty and hoarse, he almost didn’t recognize it when he finally managed to force the words out, that his alpha demanded to hear.  
“B-Breed me, Eren.”

“Yeah.” The alpha jerked him faster, buried himself inside of his mate again and again, his thrusts so powerful, they bordered on being painful now. “Gonna fill you up real good, baby.”  
The omega didn’t hear him anymore, only mewled mindlessly from the thought of receiving Eren’s seed until it took, until it had him swollen with Eren’s child, until–  
He spilled over Eren’s fingers with a choked moan and trembling shoulders, while the alpha released inside of him and stretched him with his knot.

When the last convulsions running through Levi’s body ceased and his breath began to calm down, they were enveloped by silence.  
Awkward.  
The omega cast a careful look over his shoulder, as Eren let go of his member and found the alpha staring upwards at the ceiling, with sweat still shining on his forehead and a deep blush adorning his cheekbones, while a soft tendril of mild embarrassment wound its way in the alpha’s scent. Barely distinguishable in the heavy, sex-induced pheromone cloud.

“Everything okay?”  
“That was… fast.”, avoided the brunette a direct answer and Levi shrugged, his movements pulling a low grunt from the alpha, who’s knot was caught inside of his mate.  
The tall man finally picked him up and maneuvered him to his side with Eren in his back, to wait for the swelling to go down, while the omega began to draw circles on the tan skin of Eren’s arm, that rested on his slim waist.

If the alpha didn’t want to talk about it yet, Levi would wait. They both knew, that the sudden urge to converse about breeding during their mating wasn’t a newly discovered kink and the omega was sure, that Eren would come around to talk about it without feeling ashamed – after all it was Levi who had begged him the last two nights to ‘ _fill him up’_.

It was instinct and the very reason why the small model used contraceptives, because in the heat of the moment, he wasn’t any different from the alpha. He wanted to have it all.

 

~~~

 

“Ready?”  
“Absolutely not.”  
Levi chuckled lowly, while Eren pulled on his collar for the millionth time, as if the fabric was choking him. Why the alpha hadn’t chosen to wear something more comfortable, was incomprehensible for the omega – the brunette would have to change into a different outfit at the studio anyways.

The knot had luckily gone down _before_ Hange and Erwin invaded Levi’s house, and the four of them had eaten breakfast over files and last-minute questions, before the pair had taken their shots.  
Eren was on his new suppressants since two days and Levi couldn’t do much more than praying, that the medicine would show its worth today and the alpha wouldn’t jump the next willing omega, who was waiting for him on a set at the other end of the city.

Needless to say, Levi was nervous.

Not as nervous as his alpha though, who had begun scratching the skin on his neck and forearms now.  
“Calm down, brat.”  
“What if I fuck this up? What if I freak out?”  
“No worries!”, intercepted Hange. “Erwin has a truckload of tranquilizer, he can knock you out if needed.”  
“ _What?_ ”

The physician rolled her eyes and shrugged, before she handed a medical bag to the alpha. “Stop worrying! Almost makes me wonder if you don’t trust my glorious medicine!”  
Levi’s deadpan expression didn’t need any accompanying words to tell her in a crystal-clear way what exactly he thought of her ‘glorious’ drugs, but the woman ignored him and opened the medical bag to pull two patches from it.  
“Just use the gland-aids, okay? There is enough to last you a week in this bag, just change them, if you start to feel antsy.”

Before the alpha could protest – open medical bag still in his hands – Hange had slapped two of the patches on his neck to cover his scent glands.  
“There you go, all set!”, she left the hallway without another word to wait outside where Erwin was already sitting in a car that would drive them to the studio and Eren looked down at his small mate, who wore a grim expression now and sniffed the air carefully, as if to determine if the patches marked his alpha well enough or if they didn’t drown the brunette in the omega’s fragrance as well as Levi himself would with a scent marking.

“Good?”  
The model stepped back and nodded hesitantly. The smell was overwhelming, but he hadn’t actually marked the alpha and his confused instincts didn’t quite like the lack of body contact that would ensure that Eren was branded as Levi’s and no one else’s.  
Giving in to the strange urge, the small man snatched the alpha’s wrist from his side and raised it to rub it against his own neck, before he repeated to motion with Eren’s other hand.

“Good?”, repeated the tall man with a grin and Levi felt a blush rising in his cheeks.  
Last time, it had been Eren who had insisted on scent marking the omega. Now it was the model who didn’t want to let the brunette go without his fragrance all over him. Stupid, really, considering that the alpha smelt more like omega than himself at the moment, doused with Levi’s scent from the numerous times they had coupled – suppressants and scent blockers or not – as well as the god damn patches that were plastered over Eren’s neck.

“Yeah.”, he murmured in embarrassment and the tall man stepped closer immediately and drew the small omega into his arms, to cocoon him in a hug.  
“I’ll be back before you know it.”  
“Okay.”  
“I’ll miss you.”  
“Mhm…”, the omega squirmed a little, the red on his cheeks turning darker, but Eren didn’t comment on it, nor teased him and only leaned down to place a peck on Levi’s thin, pink lips, before he released the small man and stepped through the door with a last shy wave and a gentle smile.

And then he was alone.

Levi’s shoulders slumped, and he turned around, to cast a look into his living room.  
He would have enjoyed the silence in the past, would have been happy to get rid of Hange who always turned his apartment into a garbage dump or Erwin who would nag him about his schedule and his workload and his lack of sleep…  
Now it felt… empty. Too silent for comfort and the model didn’t know how exactly that had happened.

Well, _Eren_ had happened. Eren who forced Hange to take off her shoes and hang her coat and had filled his complete calendar, labeled with “Stay with the alpha, otherwise he gets grumpy.”, no matter how much Erwin had tried to protest in the beginning.  
Eren had fallen into his life and immediately taken place in every single aspect of it and looking at it closely, Levi had to admit, that he enjoyed it.

He _liked_ Eren. Liked waking up with him, exercising and cooking together, working on whatever Levi had scheduled and cuddling on the wide bed at night before the alpha coaxed him into more intimate activities.  
It was nice to have a house full of people without going crazy, because a strong, assuring presence was beside him, enforced his rules, calmed his nerves and never left, even when everyone else got up to go home at some point.  
Being separated… He _didn’t like_ that and the only thing consoling him as he dragged himself through the room, was the heavy scent of his mate, lingering in every corner and piece of fabric around him.

It was the sole reason, why Levi didn’t start scrubbing the floors to distract himself, because the thought alone to lose Eren’s fragrance by replacing it with the harsh smell of bleach and cleaning agents, made him even more antsy.  
The young man’s scent was the only thing helping him to keep it together.

Instead, he did some Yoga for about fifteen minutes, before he gave up, certain that he would hurt himself if he tried another difficult pose without finding the focus to do it right.  
When he ruined one of his slim eyebrows another ten minutes later, because he had started to pluck them, he spew so many colorful curses, that it probably made the birds on the roof blush in shame.  
Why on earth he had thought it would be a good idea to groom himself, he had no idea. He hadn’t done that shit in years – Petra took care of his brows and his nails and his skin and basically everything else when it came to his body, except for wiping his ass.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t completely clueless why he resorted to destroying his carefully crafted appearance.  
He wanted to keep himself occupied with something other than thinking about Eren and a beautiful blonde omega sitting in front of _his_ alpha and ogling him.  
He huffed and threw the tweezers back on his vanity.  
TV maybe. It would be impossible to get anything done, so work was out of the question. Then again, TV would only make him think about that stupid _TV interview_ again, wouldn’t it?

A short glance at the clock told him, that only thirty minutes had passed since the alpha had left the house and Levi was already wondering if he would make it through another five minutes without jumping out of the window.  
The pull was strong and the fear was stronger and before he knew it, he had started pacing through the room, looking at the time again and again, only to see that another ten seconds had passed, not ten minutes as he had hoped.

 

~~~

 

Apparently, Eren had been worried for no reason. He hadn’t had to face the big obstacle – meeting the female omega – yet, but so far, things went smoothly.   
Nobody looked at him strangely, insulted him or cowered away in fear. People either knew who he was and cast him a curious glance or didn’t pay him any attention at all.   
Not surprising, since the studio was full of people and there were probably a lot of different guests showing up on a daily basis.

Erwin was at his side the whole time while he got a little tour through the different floors, showing them where Eren would change a little later and where his makeup would be done, as well as where the production control room and the entrance to the studio floor were.   
Lastly, they were seated in the green room – a little waiting area for the guests, filled with sofas, a light buffet and a fridge full of different nonalcoholic beverages – to wait for the host.

The production assistant had informed them, that Krista and one of the producers would introduce themselves before the alpha got ready for the show. An unusual procedure, but then again, Eren was an unusual guest and it made sense to test the waters first, instead of putting the omega and the alpha together in front of a camera from the start.

“Everything okay?”, Erwin handed him a small bottle of water and the young man responded with a nod and a hesitant smile.   
“So far, so good.”   
“Don’t worry. We went through the questions a million times and we vetted them. There won’t be any unpleasant surprises and if you stutter, we just do a new take.”   
“Right.”

He opened the bottle and took a huge gulp, that didn’t do much for his suddenly dry throat. Probably the nerves, he told himself, while Erwin went on to mutter reassurances like a broken record.   
When half of his water was empty, the manager stopped him with the warning, that he shouldn’t drink too much right in front of the interview, since potty breaks during makeup, or worse, the filming itself, would be unprofessional, but Eren couldn’t help to long for the liquid, even though he nodded and handed the bottle over.

He was _so_ thirsty.

Maybe he was getting sick.   
The alpha touched his forehead, testing his own temperature and Erwin watched him with an alarmed expression, asking him again if he felt alright.   
“I am… dehydrated?”   
For some reason, that seemed to placate the manager. As if not drinking enough was a good thing.   
He was probably more worried about the possibility that Eren might vomit on the host of the show or sneeze during every second sentence.

Still, Erwin didn’t hand him the water back.   
“Trust me. Everyone gets the jitters before his first filming. You want your bladder to be empty.”   
Eren just wanted to leave. Now, that he had a moment to catch his breath, he missed Levi, missed the way his small mate curled against him in bed, his stern expression while he focused on something, his scent… Something just wasn’t right without the omega. He felt thirsty and… itchy and tired, and he knew he would have a hard time being himself without the small man by his side.   
Maybe he was already feelings the side effects of his new suppressants.

He didn’t get more time to delve into these negative feelings though, as the door opened, and two people entered the room. Two women to be more exact, one as petite as the other but Eren didn’t need to wait for introductions, to know who of them was Krista.

Her scent was overwhelming, and the tall man realized anew, that he still wasn’t used to pheromone exposure, despite his time living with Levi, since the model used suppressants.   
Krista didn’t – she didn’t even use scent blockers – and Eren hadn’t had any difficulties to smell his mate either, so the undiluted power of her natural fragrance was practically penetrating his senses in all sorts of ways.

He groaned as soon as his eyes met hers. Not from positive excitement, but the unpleasant sensation of his salivating mouth that he couldn’t control.   
Her scent didn’t do anything for him, didn’t entice him like Levi’s did, but his body still reacted in all the right ways, and he tried to stop the flaring of his nostrils by wrinkling his nose.

The small, blonde woman grinned at him, as she crossed the room and Eren wanted to roll his eyes, but couldn’t, since they were busy focusing on his prey.

Not that he wanted her.

No. She smelt wrong anyways. Too sweet, too heavy, too feminine.   
Where Levi’s fragrance was flowery but unobtrusive, she was like a candy store. He supposed it had its charm for an alpha who had never smelt the heavenly scent that his mate emitted.   
Obviously, she wasn't aware of that though and shot him a winning smile, but Eren didn’t find it in himself to return it, while he noted with annoyance, that he grew hard in his pants.

Even if she might help him, even if she was pretty and looked friendly, he couldn’t help but feel immediately uncomfortable in her presence, because she wasn’t the right one and the fact alone that she spread her pheromones so blatantly, while the whole world knew by now, that Eren was easily influenced and his dynamic couldn’t be considered stable, left a stale taste in his mouth. Without the patches and the new suppressants, he could have gone into another rut, just because she didn’t bother to tone it down a little.

Then again… She didn’t know that.   
She didn’t know that Levi had sent him into a rut despite his medication, or that the model was Eren’s mate, because they tried to hide the fact, that his omega was male.   
The only thing he wouldn’t be able to keep under wraps for much longer, was that he actually had a mate, since Levi’s synthetic scent from the patches covered him so strongly, that she would be able to sense it, even without coming too close to him.

His eyes wandered to the other woman, who stepped forward now and introduced herself as Rico Brzenska, one of the producers of the show, and Eren lowered his lids a little, because his pupils were blows so wide from Krista's pheromones, that the room appeared painfully bright around him.   
Erwin shook her hand firmly, while his professional, wide smile never left his face, before he offered his own name and pointed at the alpha next. “And this is Eren Jäger.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Eren!”, the blonde host chirped happily, before she reached out with her hand to shake his. “I’m Krista. I’ll do the interview with you.”   
“Hi…”   
He considered her tiny fingers for a moment, before he pressed his large palm against them and the very moment he moved, he sensed her stiffening posture and watched how her eyes widened and her mouth opened with a whispered ‘ _Oh my god…_ ’.

“What’s wrong?”   
Mrs. Brzenska turned to her immediately, but the female omega ignored her and snatched her hand away, her gaze pinned to the ground now, while a deep redness spread in her face.   
“I’m… very sorry, Eren.”

The tall man only shrugged, but couldn’t offer her any consoling words, to soothe her embarrassment.   
He would never pick on an omega and even now that he had Levi, he still felt protective of other people - especially those of the submissive gender - and would certainly jump to Krista’s aid if needed, but she had overdone it with the scent without even considering for a second that he could be off the market.

They were rare these days and it didn’t happen often, that the likes of them found their counterpart, but it was still highly offensive to douse someone in pheromones who was mated to someone else.   
It didn’t take any special education to know that. Eren would lose his mind if Levi smelt like a different alpha and Krista hadn’t wasted any time to drown the whole room in her smell without even giving the alpha a single sniff.

She would have to suffer through the awkwardness by herself, without Eren’s absolution.

He did offer her the small bottle with clear liquid though, that he carried around for himself and Levi, while he breathed through his mouth to avoid smelling the strong bitterness that suddenly seeped into her scent fast and mercilessly.   
It had been too much for him before, but now that she was ashamed, the room began to stink as the sweetness in her fragrance heightened even more and turned into something like the smell of overripe fruits close to rotting.   
She would probably smell like a decomposing garbage dump in the sun soon, if she didn’t use some scent blockers.

Krista smiled wearily and took the bottle, before she excused herself and Eren rubbed his face.   
At least he felt that his erection had wilted from the sudden turn in her scent and he wouldn’t sport a raging boner during the interview.

He released a long sigh and his eyes found Mrs. Brzenska’s, who was still staring at him with an inquiring look, but the brunette only shrugged with a nervous smile, before Erwin rescued him from mumbling something stupid.   
“It seems there have been some scent issues.”   
“Right.”   
She didn’t look as if anything was alright though and despite towering over her by almost half a meter, Eren swallowed and averted his eyes from her piercing gaze.

“Let’s get started then.”, she pointed towards one of the doors leading from the room and they walked behind her through the corridor that followed, until she had led them back to one of the changing rooms he had already seen earlier.

After a few more words of advice and a little rundown of the schedule, she left them with the promise to pick them up later and Eren and Erwin both released a long sigh, when she finally walked around the next corner and was out of sight.

“Are you alright?”   
Eren huffed in amusement, before he turned to the manager and nodded. “You must have asked me that at least two hundred times by now. I’m good.”   
“That was before you met the omega though.”   
“She’s got a name, Erwin.”, growled the alpha. “And I’m good. Really. The new suppressants seem to do their job just fine. I had some sort of… ‘ _omega experience’_. I smelt her, I had some physical reaction, but mentally? There was nothing. I didn’t lose my head like…”   
He fell silent and cleared his throat soon after and Erwin raised a curious brow. “Like with Levi, you mean.”   
“Uh… well…”   
“Meaning there is no instinctual reaction urging you to behave a certain way, just some bodily functions responding to the pheromones.”

He nodded slowly, grateful that Erwin didn’t dive deeper into the whole matter with his mate, even though the manager probably did it out of purely self-serving reasons – to avoid being hurt, not to save Eren from an awkward conversation.   
“Seems like Hange’s idea worked.”, he concluded, only now realizing that things really had turned out well and while his body might have… _wanted_ her in some way, judging by his physical reactions, he hadn't consciously desired the female omega for a second. Now he only needed to make sure, that Levi didn’t change his mind and left him behind with withdrawal symptoms and a broken heart.

Shaking his head, he reached for his phone to send the small man a message.   
The courting was going just fine and Eren knew that Levi liked him. There was no reason to be worried and the only thing that could put a dent into their relationship was if Levi lost his trust in the alpha – for example because he suddenly smelt like another omega.   
A female omega who hosted a TV show, where he was invited for an interview.   
The earlier he informed Levi about what had happened, the better, otherwise he might face a real storm when he came back home.

While he began to type the message, Erwin finally opened the door to the changing room and stepped inside. The alpha smiled absentmindedly at the device in his fingers, thinking of the model and wondering if Levi felt the same painful pull that was tearing at Eren’s insides at the moment.

He was about to hit ‘Send’, when a voice drew him from his thoughts and had him freezing in the door frame.   
“Eren?”   
Was he imagining things?   
Closing his eyes, he wondered if he had hallucinations for another second, before shook his head and turned to face his surprise visitor.

No hallucinations then, because there she was, only a few meters away, standing in another door frame and while Eren smiled, as soon as his gaze caught hers, he couldn't help but wonder what the heck she was doing in the studio and what would be worse for Levi: Finding his alpha covered in the scent of another omega, or this.

“Hey Mikasa. Didn’t expect seeing you here.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your eyes aren't fooling you, it is indeed a new chapter! Only took me half a year, half a million comments from you guys and the help of my new beta reader :D
> 
> I haven't been in a good spot to write and it saddens me just as much as you that I didn't update for so long, but there wasn't much I could do. I really couldn't write a god damn thing, but it's slowly coming back to me it seems :D
> 
> My eternal gratitude goes to [Atsuki_Aiko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atsuki_Aiko/pseuds/Atsuki_Aiko). Not only did she fix my broken English, but knowing that I wasn't working on this alone anymore gave me a real big mental boost and it became so much fun to write for this story again. Thanks love, you're the best ♥  
> Obviously, all of you took a great part in it too. Your lovely comments motivated me a lot and I'm very thankful that so many of you fell in love with this story and kept writing me beautiful things, that really pushed me again :)  
> So... without further ado - Enjoy the new chapter! :)

 

 

“I didn’t expect you here either. What are you doing here?”

The black-haired woman smiled, pale cheeks dimpling, and Eren couldn’t help but grin in return.  
“I, uh… They want to have an interview with me… You know, about the alpha stuff.”

Mikasa stepped closer, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
She looked as phenomenal as she did the first time they’d met in Levi’s house and, despite his mate’s explanation, he didn’t feel quite as adverse to her presence as the omega would have wanted – though Levi’s words from back then rang loud and clear through his head. But no matter how much he wished for it to be genuine, her interest in him had been suspicious, and it would be wise to stay on guard while in her proximity.

That part aside, Levi was his mate now, and even if he didn’t share his opinion about his ex-wife, he would be loyal to his omega and refrain from getting chummy with people that he hated. Even if Mikasa liked Eren and wouldn’t harm him, that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t use whatever he said against Levi, because she obviously despised him in some way, considering how cold she had behaved during her visit to the model’s apartment.

“I’m working here, actually. I’m a fashion consultant for some of the shows, which is why I came over from London, no matter how fixated Erwin is on making everyone believe that I flew here to ruin my husband.”

Eren’s eyes widened and he raised a hand in warning, before pointing at the door behind himself that was still halfway open. Mikasa pursed her lips, dulling her voice to a whisper.  
“Damn. He’s in there, isn’t he?”  
The alpha nodded with a wide grin and stepped a little closer to her, making sure the manager wouldn’t hear them in the other room.  
Maybe there was actually a chance to both keep this unplanned meeting from Levi, and save Eren from the consequential drama.

“I think I’ve got a few minutes.”  
“Do you now?” She grinned, reaching for his tan wrist and curling her slim, pale fingers around it. The alpha didn’t protest when Mikasa pulled him through the door of the room she had previously emerged from.

She was no threat to him, not like Krista anyway, and physical contact with her wouldn’t cloud his head, nor would Levi be able to pick up on it. Aside from that, she didn’t seem as desperate as the small talk show host had been, and let go of him as soon as they stepped into what seemed to be another dressing room, shutting the door behind them.

Eren didn’t have high hopes, but a part of him couldn’t help but wish that maybe, he would finally get some understanding of what was going on between the beautiful beta and her husband, and why Levi despised her so much.

He slumped into a cushioned chair next to a tiny coffee table and stretched his legs out, leaning back and folding his hands behind his head, trying to look relaxed.  
“So how long are you going to be in the city?”

“Not sure yet…” She grabbed the Starbucks coffee she'd abandoned earlier on the vanity and, after taking a small sip, daintily placed herself on the coffee table in front of him for lack of a better seating option – not an easy feat, considering she wore heels as high as the Empire State Building, and the wobbly piece of furniture was even lower than his chair, but she still managed to look composed and ladylike. “Maybe a week or two? I’ve got some things lined up, but I don’t have any fixed plans yet. We could still go for that coffee," Another smile graced her face then, and she winked playfully, "or party a little?"

Not the greatest topic, but Eren managed not to blush or start spluttering. Instead, he shrugged noncommittally and grinned back at her. “Not sure if that’s in the cards for me. Levi wouldn’t be too happy.”

“What, he’s your chaperone now?”

He was _so_ lucky that she couldn’t smell him, considering that he was probably stinking up the room with a wild mix of embarrassment, anxiety and excitement. A nose as sensitive as his own would instantly sense and interpret how he really felt about the omega, but Mikasa just raised a thin, perfectly plucked brow and Eren managed to cover his inner turmoil with a nonchalant chuckle. “No, but the job requires me to be at his side.”

“Well, he’s not here now, is he?”

Inwardly wincing and outwardly nodding, Eren already began to regret his decision to follow her.  
When he had dropped the omega’s name, the alpha hadn’t exactly meant for her to start a discussion about his and Levi’s relationship, but rather, had hoped to get some sort of reaction from the beta about _their_ relationship.

What would he even say if she asked him why Levi wasn’t present? It wasn’t as if he could explain to her that it wouldn’t be a smart choice to put two ‘competing’ omegas in the same building. Levi’s dynamic was a secret after all, no matter if she had a hunch about it or not, and Eren suddenly felt as if he was sitting in a field with landmines, where every verbal misstep could blow up, sending bits of shrapnel to come bite him in the ass, even though they were just talking about _grabbing a coffee_.

He didn’t really have the time to contemplate each of his answers too deeply, but he knew that he needed to tread carefully and be mindful not to give too much about Levi and himself away. “Yeah, I had actually hoped he would join me, give me some tips and stuff? He made sure to keep his schedule free today, so that he won’t need me but… He has too much work. Guess he’s sitting at home, going through interviews or articles or whatever the heck it is he does.”

He was _totally_ overexplaining, but Mikasa just nodded in understanding and the alpha asked himself for a moment what had happened to his life that required him to be so careful when speaking to others, and distrust people who hadn’t ever done anything to him to deserve it.

And he still didn’t know what Mikasa had done to Levi for them to have such a bad and strange relationship. The omega had left her after all and, in Eren’s general worldview, it was normal for a scorned wife to be a little bitchy about getting dropped like a hot potato.

Then again, Levi wasn’t like that. A little rough around the edges, yes, but a decent, caring person nevertheless, and the brunette didn’t doubt that the omega had tried to make this easy for her. He paid her alimony, even though she probably didn’t even have a right to receive it, and looked just as filthy rich as her husband.

That in itself was just another thing the omega had brushed off: he was _still_ married to her. Levi might have tried to convince him that he simply didn’t want to give his fortune away, but the plain truth was, that if anything happened to the omega, she would inherit _everything_. The model obviously didn’t want her around, but Eren wasn’t blind enough not to see that she was well taken care of.

Whatever it was that went on between them, he doubted that he would get any answers here, and he didn’t want to risk getting caught chitchatting by Erwin.

The beta seemed to read his thoughts easily, or at least think something along the same lines, because instead of drilling further into the Levi-Eren topic, she set her cup down and got up.  
“Well if you ever get a day off, let me know, okay? I’m staying in the Four Seasons, you know that one?”

“Uh, yeah, I do actually.”  
Better not explain to her how he knew it; that it was where Levi and himself had shared a room for a night, where he had gotten hired, where the omega had temporarily stopped him from giving off evil alpha vibes.  
“Good. Just stop by or give me a call when you feel like it.”

And just like that, he was shoved out of the room. And barely in time as well, because the moment the door had closed behind him, Erwin stepped out of the dressing room assigned to him and raised a questioning eyebrow, prompting Eren to babble about getting lost on his way back from the restroom.

 

 

~~~

 

Eren earned a sharp look from Rico when he made another attempt to discreetly loosen his suffocating collar. It was tight as a leash, but moving it around would apparently fuck with the position of the microphone below his Adam’s apple; or put his crisp, white shirt in jeopardy where it sat near the base of his make-up.

The stuff was everywhere; his face, his neck, even his hands had been treated to a dollop of tinted cream, and the longer he sat under the spotlights, the more chance the layers of primers, foundations, and concealers had of melting into his skin.

He was wearing blush.  
_Blush_.  
Not because they felt he needed a rosier complexion, but because the first round of smothering his face with beauty products had left him looking as if someone had sucked the life out of him. Which was why – after carefully turning his expression into a blank mask with the help of colorful liquids – they had started drawing blood circulation and bone structure back onto his cheeks.  
_Contouring_ , they said.

Whatever the hell that meant, it _itched_.  
Eren was sweating buckets, and not all of the reason could be attributed to the countless floodlights above his head. Some credit also had to go to the walking pheromone factory otherwise known as Krista, who sat next to him.  
With his forehead shining like a disco ball and the consequential re-powdering – again, and again, and _again_ –, the only thing he managed to think was ‘ _How did Levi do this every god damn day?_ ’

The cake mix on his face was growing by the minute… and so was Eren’s irritation.

It wasn’t the _angry alpha_ kind of displeasure he felt coursing through his body – even though he _was_ agitated in terms of his dynamic. No, most of his disgruntled mood was simply rooted in Eren himself: the young man who was currently sitting in a studio, dolled up like a clown, and feeling watched and judged as if he was performing in a circus.

The fact that random people kept tugging and pulling on his hair and clothes, while others shoved brush bristles up his nose while they tried to fix his melting look, _did not help_.

“Could you…” Eren hadn’t even realized that Rico had made her way up to them, and he tried his best to focus his attention on her while blinking through a cloud of powder and setting spray.  
It seemed that she was just as irritated as he was, judging by the way she impatiently pushed a few strands of her platinum blonde hair behind her ear, and gestured at him with her other hand. “Could you change your posture a bit? You look too tense. Lean back, uncross your legs?”

Nope, he absolutely _could not._  
He would have loved to follow her request and get one step closer to wrapping this up, but he wasn’t sitting hunched over like a senior citizen, hands folded in his lap, because it was his preferred position. Neither did he cross his legs to look sophisticated or mature. He was more of a ‘thighs spread – body stretched out’ kind of guy.

None of that was an option though while he sported the _boner of a prime stallion_.  
“I, uh…”  
His gaze darted to Krista, the root of all his current physical predicaments, and though she made a bit of a face, it was mostly sympathetic.

Eren could tell that she had used the scent blocker, since the suffocating sweetness had lessened, but it was still too much. She obviously didn’t use suppressants on a regular basis; no matter how much she tried to dull her reaction to him by applying the serum to her glands, her body would continue to be in overdrive as long as he was near her.

Her pheromone output was on a completely different level compared to Levi, who medicated himself daily, and being near an alpha only made it worse for her – Eren’s body, the eternal traitor, latched onto it like a parched man to a bottle of water.

The situation was obviously embarrassing, for one because he couldn’t control himself the way he wanted to, but mostly because this was happening in a room full of people with a combined goal of capturing his image on camera – _while he had a freaking hard-on_.  
More than any of that though, he was just plain annoyed.

He had no romantic intentions towards Krista, and wasn’t happy about the mixed signals he was sending her. Not to mention how he felt regarding his own perfect, beautiful mate.  
Levi wouldn’t hold it against him, that much he knew, and he should probably be ecstatic that his unwavering heart had him thinking of nothing but the black-haired model, while he sat next to a curvy, alluring woman… but getting hard for another omega still left him feeling like a douchebag, even if it happened involuntary.

“It’s okay, Eren. I understand.” Krista’s soft voice pulled him out of his musings. He gave her a small smile, before he turned back to the producer. Rico’s lifted brow told him she didn’t understand shit.

Fuck it, he had to get this done one way or another. They were all adults here, right?  
“I’m hard.”

…

“ _Excuse me?!_ ”  
Eren swallowed, gaze falling to the ground. Apparently, that hadn’t been the right answer to Rico’s inquiry, but it wasn’t as if he could do anything about it.

Besides the obvious gossip, the whole idea of this interview had been to educate people about alphas, and though the producer glared at him – partly disgusted, partly scandalized – he couldn’t change who he was.  
There was nothing wrong with him, Hange had told him so again and again. He was _normal_ and he would do his best to handle this in a calm, mature way. No more drama, no more bad PR. For Levi.

Hence, he repeated: “I’m hard.” Before he looked back up, and took a deep breath. “It’s really not comfortable for me either, but I can’t change it.”  
Rico didn’t seem impressed, folding her arms in front of her chest, but he pressed on. He was a damn alpha after all, no use getting all timid now because of a tiny person he could lift with one hand, and scare off with a single snarl.

“Krista…” He nodded in her direction and she returned the gesture, before he looked back to Rico, “She is reacting to me. I know you can’t tell, but her pheromone output is pretty high, and it affects me. It’s natural, it’s how our dynamics communicate. She won’t be able to reign it in and neither will I.” And when yet another velour puff was pressed to his forehead out of nowhere, he mumbled, “‘S probably why I’m sweating so damn much…”

Rico didn’t react much aside from staring him down for a good minute. When she relented eventually, her attention was on the host, who thankfully backed him up immediately.  
“It’s true,” she said and made a wide gesture as if to encompass the whole space around them, “He’s not aroused, I would smell it. Rather… distressed and…”

The alpha closed his eyes briefly, and his tense shoulders relaxed with relief when Krista didn’t elaborate any further. Most of all, he smelled like _omega_ after all, and he really didn’t want to add that to the conversational mix at the moment. Their discussion was weird enough as it was.  
“It’s more like a random boner? For teenagers?” tried the small host, and Eren nodded along. Probably not the most dignified description but it got the message along.

“You can’t be serious…” The producer turned around to walk away, but Krista raised her voice immediately to stop her with a calm but clipped “Rico.” Which – lo and behold – did the trick. The pecking order among secondary genders was one thing, but the power dynamic in this production seemed to be pretty clear, considering how the blonde omega called her colleague back like an owner to his mischievous dog.

“Eren is our guest.”  
Rico just rolled her eyes, and it was Krista’s turn to fold her arms. Her ‘severe’ expression looked more like a pout on her plush, pink lips, but Eren was willing to give her an ‘A’ for effort.  
“I’m telling you, this is normal. You can’t invalidate it just because you don’t understand it. This is _exactly_ why I wanted to include this segment in this week’s show.”

“Any problems here?”  
The alpha didn’t stop the groan that slipped from his lips and Krista joined in with a pleasant little giggle, when Erwin came to a halt next to Rico.  
Contrary to the producer, he spotted the issue within milliseconds – maybe because he had the same stubborn piece of flesh attached to his own body – and his bushy brows rose incredulously while he eyed Eren’s crotch.

“No problems.” Rico sounded a little miffed, but her expression was all business, and without further ado, she turned away and bellowed instructions through the studio. “New angle! From the waist up! And turn the damn ventilation on, we need to clear the air in here!”

The brunette swallowed once more, and after a quick look at both Erwin and Krista, he slowly unclenched his legs and leaned back.  
To Krista’s credit, she did her best not to eye the obvious bulge in his pants. Erwin though, ogled him with unconcealed amusement.  
Whatever, it was just a boner. Not like he had murdered someone in front of the camera, so he rolled his shoulders to loosen them up a little more, and placed his hands on his thighs in what he hoped was a relaxed manner.

The production started soon after like the morning rush hour in a big city. A lot of stop and go and while Eren didn’t understand any of the French Krista rattled down as she recounted the events of the last week regarding him and Levi, he quickly noticed, that she repeated the exact same words to the camera, whenever her or Rico raised a hand and twirled their finger in the air – _Again_.

The producer gave him a sign when his time to pay attention came, and the translator, in his seat behind the set, perked up.  
While Krista would continue to host the show in French, he would receive her questions in English through a small earphone and answer alike, for his responses to be subbed or dubbed before editing.

“ _Today’s guest is Eren Jäger._ ” Said man tried not to jump on his stool when the bud in his ear crackled to life, and he turned to Krista. “ _Hello Eren, thanks for joining us today!_ ”  
“Thanks for having me.”

The host smiled and he gave her an easy grin, only a subtle curl of his lips and a tiny flash of white teeth. So far it was simple enough and he nodded along, while the translator relayed what she said.  
“ _We’ve seen an increase in secondary gender discrimination in the last years, a topic that, for obvious reasons, is close to my heart._ ” She looked earnest, without coming across as too severe, and Eren wondered how many years of training and acting school it had taken to perfect her facial expressions to such a degree, or if it was simply a natural talent of hers.

“ _Today, we want to shed a bit of light on the current controversy regarding Levi Ackermann. Who better to ask, than the man responsible?_ ”  
The short, tiny twitch of Krista’s right eye told him that she wasn’t too pleased with the translation.  
_Responsible_ was probably not the word she had used, and her own earphone relayed the incoming string of words from the interpreter just like his own – she heard every word.

Regardless, she didn’t stop the filming. The English audio wouldn’t be used, and every new take only delayed the whole production, so as long as the message got across, they would keep rolling.  
“ _Eren, you’ve become quite the celebrity in the last days. How do you feel about your sudden fame?_ ”

Eyes on him, pleasant smile on her lips, she waited until the voice in his ear stopped talking and he nodded again, drawing his eyebrows together ever so slightly. He had practiced this, numerous times in fact – with Levi, with Erwin, in front of the mirror – and while he didn’t exactly feel like the embodiment of confidence, he knew that he could do this.  
_Look serious, but not grim or grave. Be authentic, but don’t laugh it off. Be thoughtful._

“Yes, it’s been quite a week for me, and I wish I could have made a different first impression to the world for obvious reasons. On the other hand, I’m glad that my situation brings the whole topic back to the table. The events of the last week may not be the greatest conversation starter, but a start nonetheless.”

“ _How do you feel about the backlash and the public opinion you are facing?_ ”

Eren shrugged, then winced when he realized it – shrugging wasn’t good, they wouldn’t want people to think he didn’t care about the topic or their opinion – but Rico just gestured for him to keep going.  
They could cut it out later.

“I’m very torn about it.” He swallowed heavily – they would probably keep that one in. Made him look like he was fighting some inner demons and took all of that to heart. Not that he didn’t. The general population couldn’t even imagine _how much_ this whole situation concerned him.  
“I can understand that my dynamic frightens others, and I do agree that people need to be careful, to a certain degree, when they come in contact with alphas. But at the end of the day, we’re only human, we don’t act the way we do out of malice. If the general population were more educated about my secondary gender, they’d come to understand that there are much easier and better ways to deal with us than reacting with resentment or violence. I have no doubt that we can all coexist peacefully.”

“ _Secondary Gender Specialists have stated, that your behavior has been triggered by external factors. Can you tell us a bit more about that?_ ”

“Yes, it’s true. I have no control about my behavior in some situations, and while I know that it may sound scary, there are many ways to deal with that. I can’t always change the way I respond to certain circumstances, but others can change the way they respond to me. I’d go as far as to say, that almost everyone out there could placate an agitated alpha and there is no need to be scared. We’re not feral aggressors, we’re protectors.”

Krista smiled. She clearly understood where he was coming from, and Eren felt encouraged to explain further. “My arrest is actually a good example. Alphas are territorial, and I’m not just talking about areas or properties here. It’s about people. I went on the offensive because someone attacked Mr. Ackermann, and if people had’ve backed up, things would’ve been fine. Levi is important to me, and I instinctively want to shield him from harm.”

“ _Sounds juicy!_ ” The host laughed, and Eren answered with a low chuckle.  
Of course people wanted him to spill the tea about their relationship, and not just get lectured about dynamics. Talking about the model had been planned from the beginning and the brunette had been well prepared for it. Krista wouldn’t outright ask him if they were an item – Erwin had made sure of that – but she would inquire about it in less direct ways.

“He has done a lot for me and my dynamic in general, no doubt about that. I know that people may have a hard time believing it, but being an alpha can be very restrictive. We have to register our dynamic as soon as we present and medicating ourselves with suppressants is mandatory. It’s a long, painful, difficult path. We can’t travel easily or take on certain jobs, because we’re considered high risk and we face a lot of discrimination. That Levi put his trust and his personal safety into my hands means a lot to me and the alpha dynamic inside of me acknowledges that. I’m not going to sugarcoat it – It’s not making it easier for him to keep supporting me, quite the contrary. But he stands by my side and I’ll always be thankful for that.”

Krista’s eyes softened, her smile turning into something genuine, an expression that was no longer an act. “ _He means a lot to you._ ”

“He does.” Eren nodded, thankful that a multitude of products on his skin hid the rising blush on his face, “He changed my life for the better, and while a lot of people seem to be concerned that I could endanger him, the opposite is true. You’d probably have to put a few bullets in me to get to him.”

Another wince, because it sounded too severe. They might have to redo this part later on, but the way Krista’s face lit up told him that his words were basically the key to her heart.  
_Typical omega_.  
His statement though had been true. Levi was everything he could have ever wanted. And despite the mishaps and problems they were facing, he hadn’t ever felt as happy and fulfilled as in those moments, when he held the small, beautiful man in his arms and smelt his clear, flowery scent.

“ _And aside from your dedication to your boss? Is there a special someone?_ ”  
Eren barely managed not to snap his head in her direction – this question hadn’t been included in the vetting process. The only reason he could think of was that she was trying to make heads and tails of the omegan scent wafting around him and gave it a shot, knowing that Erwin could stop her at any given moment.

His eyes searched for the manager next to the camera man, but all he got was a face full of strong lights and a vague silhouette.  
Surprisingly, Erwin didn’t intervene and the alpha wondered briefly if he was curious himself.

“ _Oh? Speechless?_ ” Krista winked into the camera and the brunette laughed awkwardly.  
Fuck it. Erwin had guaranteed that they could make alterations to the final cut, and if he were in real danger of screwing this up, the manager would’ve probably jumped in by now. It wasn’t as if he would confess his relationship to Levi on a film set.

“Eh… well…” Rubbing his neck sheepishly, he grinned, and received Krista’s blinding smile in return. “Yeah, actually… There is someone.”

The small woman made a face. Eyes wide, lips forming a surprised ‘ _Oh_ ’, as if she didn’t already know that he had to have a mate. “ _Wow! An omega perhaps?_ ”

God, this really wasn’t going the way he’d thought it would. Now that he’d been put on the spot and Erwin _still hadn’t fucking said anything_ , he would probably raise more suspicion if he shut the conversation down. “Truthfully? Yes. I hadn’t planned on it to be honest. I didn’t even know when, or if, I would ever meet one after all, but it happened and I’m very happy.”

Eren smiled into the camera, trying to convey the emotions that surged up inside of him whenever he thought of Levi, but deep down, he wasn’t quite sure if he hadn’t actually made a huge mistake.  
People talked, and while the studio was bound to confidentiality, he had no guarantee if news of him having a mate wouldn’t spread from those who worked on the set.  
Levi’s identity as his love interest had been kept a secret, and a part of Eren felt proud and elated to tell the world that he had a beautiful omega to call his own.

He was an alpha, it was part of his dynamic, and the day he could finally show everyone what a perfect, amazing mate he had taken would be the best day of his life. Right now though, the brunette couldn’t tell if he hadn’t just given away more information than was good for him and the famous model.

 

 

~~~

 

When Hange burst into his home with a loud “Levi!!” one hour later, he had given up on walking up and down the living room, and the physician stopped immediately upon spotting him on the sofa.  
One and a half hours without Eren and the small model had degraded into a moping couch potato. “Is that… Chocolate ice cream?”  
The omega shrugged, and her face wrinkled in disbelief. “And potato chips? And… Really? An empty glass of Nutella?”

“What do you want Hange?” He asked her only to prevent her from coming up with more unpleasant questions, because he really didn’t care why she was in his house instead of her laboratory. All Levi cared about was: 1. That time was supposed to go by a lot faster, and 2. That this horrible situation that had him caught between misery and self-hatred, needed to end.

A short moment of hesitation slipped by, where she obviously contemplated forcing him into a conversation about breaking at least forty rules of his diet plan – Levi himself wasn’t sure why he even had that stuff in the fridge at all – before whatever had made her come here in the first place won out and she rushed forward to sit down next to him. Her hands dug around in her giant purse, locating her tablet and pulling it out, hammering the pin into the device.

“I’ve got bad news.”  
“Bad news…?” The small model shoved the bag of chips away and looked at her with droopy eyes. Being away from Eren really seemed to have an impact on him, and Hange would have loved to dive deeper into the topic, but the physician didn’t have time for his heartbroken expression and nodded.  
“Here, I found this online.”

Levi sat up with slow, sluggish movements and peeked at the tablet that she had shoved under his nose, taking a lot longer than usual to process the information she presented to him.  
“That’s… my schedule?”  
“Yes. And by ‘ _I found it online_ ’ I don’t mean in my outlook calendar. It’s spread in forums and Facebook groups, and I’ve seen comments where people publicly ask other users to make use of it and cause trouble. Eren’s private social media accounts have been listed there as well.”

The numbing sadness seeped out of the small man with surprising swiftness and a deep crease formed between his brows, while his eyes darted rapidly over the open website.  
In the next second, he jumped to his feet and rushed to the door, slipping into his shoes and searching for the keys.  
“Levi? What are you doing?”

“We need to get to him!”  
“What? Who?”  
“Eren!”

Hange, still in her shoes – god bless her for once that she hadn’t taken them off – followed him through the door hastily, Levi already calling for a taxi. “But why?”

“His interview is in my calendar! They know where he is! What if they– Oui, bonjour– “ A string of French words rattled from his lips, but Hange snatched the phone away and grabbed his wrist, pulling him down the street.

“We’ll take my car, it’s faster than waiting for a taxi.”

The omega stumbled along, reaching her car within seconds and flinging himself into the seat. His phone ended up in his lap when Hange threw it inside, before she rounded the vehicle to get into the driver seat. Seconds later the motor howled loudly, and she sped down the road while Levi’s heart hammered violently in his chest.  
Hange got it. She understood him. She had… seen him.  
The small man closed his eyes for a moment, and the images of two police officers flashed through his mind; tasers hitting the alpha, a gun aiming at him, Eren on the ground…

Not again.  
Please, _please_ not again.  
Demonstrations in front of his house or angry blog posts only did so much, but Eren… Eren was the easiest, fastest, and most effective way to harm Levi, and the alpha was in danger if anyone decided to try messing with him. If anyone provoked him until he snapped and Levi wasn’t there, they would…  
The omega swallowed heavily.  
_They would put him down like an animal, wouldn’t they?_

He blinked through the sudden wetness in his lashes, cursing himself, and his stupidity, and his selfishness, and the fucking jealousy. All he had thought about was Krista and his fear of losing Eren, even though the alpha hadn’t given him a single reason to believe that he would walk away from the model, and now the young man might be in real danger, because of his stupid fans, with nobody but Erwin at his side.  
Erwin, who probably didn’t want him dead, but wasn’t his biggest supporter either.

_Shit_.  
Levi hastily dialed the number of his manager with trembling fingers, intent on warning him and reporting Hange’s findings, but the blond man didn’t pick up, and the omega listened to his voice mail with a sinking heart.  
Maybe nothing was going to happen? And even if it did, they would make it there before anything went wrong, wouldn’t they?

His eyes wandered to Hange, who stared at the street with a grim, severe expression he had never seen on her. A deadly grip had her knuckles white on the steering wheel, and he pressed his lips into a thin line, turning to look back at the way ahead of them.

They simply had to make it. Every other option was not acceptable.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "So you dedicated 1500 words to Eren having a boner?"  
> "Yes. Yes, I did."


End file.
